Vigil for peace

LURGAN showed its 'revulsion' at the reckless actions of dissident republicans with a peace vigil in the town on Saturday.

The three children injured in the no-warning attack which prompted the vigil attended the event with their parents.

Two-year-old Carla Maguire, her 12-year-old sister Demi and their friend Lauren Hendron were left injured and shaken after the device exploded in the North Street area on Saturday, August 14.

Monsignor Aidan Hamill, of St Peter’s church, close to the scene of the explosion, said the purpose of the vigil was to show “revulsion” at the violent nature of what had happened on the day and to support the injured children’s families".

“The main aim of the vigil was solidarity with the children and families involved and to say that such things shouldn’t happen in Lurgan ever again,” he said.

Monsignor Hamill said the community had wanted to back-up words of condemnation with actions.

“It was a very cross-community show of support for those working for peace and reconciliation in our community and good for the children’s sakes, to see people turning out for them, as well.”

Monsignor Hamill said the children were recovering well from their ordeal and added: “They are building up their confidence again, especially when people stand up with them and their families and say ‘we don’t want that violence again’.

“That was the really encouraging thing about the vigil. People might think it was a smallish turn out, but those people were standing on the street in solidarity together – all the community.”

The Rev Geoff Wilson, from Shankill Parish, said the scores of people who attended the event were calling for an end to violence.

“The vigil was a very significant day for people in Lurgan as they came together to say the bomb was not an attack on just ‘our’ community or on ‘their’ community - but an attack on everyone.

“The people were making the statement that they just don’t want this violence.”

Rev Wilson said he had spoken with the parents of the Maguire girls, who he said were now “getting on with their lives and getting back to being children”.

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