Family say their worlds ‘were’ shattered by murder of mother in Omagh bomb

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

The four children of a woman killed in the Omagh bombing have said that their worlds were “shattered” by her death in the 1998 Real IRA massacre.

The Omagh Bombing Inquiry heard that 56-year-old Veda Short was a “loving wife, mother and grandmother” who was very family-orientated and active within her church.

She was one of three staff members of Watterson’s drapers killed when they were evacuated into Market Street in Omagh on the day the bomb exploded.

A statement from her four children – Alison Crozier, Frances Henry, Ian Short and Elaine Magowan – was read to the inquiry by solicitor Conor Cullen.

In it, Mrs Short was described as “very family orientated”.

The statement said: “Mum never had a bad word to say about anyone.

“Mum was just getting over the death of her own mother from the previous October.

“She and Dad had just returned home from a holiday in Alicante.

“They had so much to look forward to.

“She had eight grandchildren whom she loved and adored.”

It added: “The day before the bomb, Elaine had given birth to her fourth child in Dundonald Hospital.

“Mum was taken up to Belfast that night to see her new grandson. She had taken photographs of Lee and got to hold him.

“She was the centre of our family and had a very loving and caring nature.

“Our world was shattered on Saturday, 15th August 1998.”

The four siblings said their “whole lives changed” the day their mother was murdered.

Their statement said: “A loving mother was taken away from us in such a brutal manner.

“We never got the chance to say goodbye or see her grow old, or take care of her as she had done for us.

“Our dad was a broken man from that day on. His whole world had just collapsed and he had nothing left to live for.

“We lost both our parents that awful day. Our dad became depressed and with ill-health he passed away in June 2004, aged just 64.

“Another casualty of the Omagh bomb.”

The statement said Mrs Short had missed out on the birth of three grandchildren, missed the weddings of eight grandchildren and birth of eight great-grandchildren – and also missed her son Ian’s wedding.

It continued: “There is not a day goes by that we do not think of Mum.”

Inquiry chair Lord Turnbull said: “It is obvious that Mrs Short’s death caused a terrible loss to her family.

“Particularly so perhaps to her husband.

“Their children rightly say that after his own untimely death, their father was another casualty of the Omagh bombing.”