Omagh bomb victim’s exam results arrived on day of her funeral

By David Young, PA

Exam results that were set to open up a “new world of opportunity” for a student killed in the Omagh bomb arrived on the day of her funeral, the public inquiry into the attack has heard.

The third day of commemorative hearings for the victims of the 1998 bombing began with a tribute to 20-year-old Debra-Anne Cartwright.

The Real IRA attack on August 15th killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.

The inquiry heard that Ms Cartwright, a former pupil of Omagh High School, had just completed her A-levels and had been hoping to go to Manchester University to study textile design.

Reading a statement on behalf of the family, inquiry barrister John Rafferty said: “Her results, which arrived on the day of her funeral, confirmed that she had been successful.”

On the day of the attack, Ms Cartwright, from Birchwood in Omagh, was working in a beauty salon in the town centre.

She evacuated the business during the security alert prompted by the bomb warning and was walking down Market Street when the device exploded.

Mr Rafferty told the inquiry that Ms Cartwright’s funeral at St Columba’s Church in Omagh heard that she was a woman “full of life and energy”.

Inquiry chairman Lord Turnbull reflected that she was one of several young people killed in the bombing.

“All of these were children or young people whose lives were taken from them before they had any chance to grow and live as adults and to experience any of the joys and tribulations of a full and independent life,” he said.

“In Debra-Anne’s case, as I have just heard, it further compounds the cruel denial of her future that on the day of her funeral she received confirmation of the exam results which would have taken her to university and opened a whole new world of opportunity to her.”