‘I’ll never forget them’
Still waters run deep; Buncrana musician Paul Caldwell's new song about the 1998 Omagh atrocity is a powerful piece of music.
Buncrana musician releases heartfelt tribute to young victims of Omagh bomb
A talented Buncrana singer-songwriter has penned a heartfelt and poignant new song about the Omagh bomb, which killed 29 people, including three young boys from his hometown.
Paul Caldwell was just nine-years-old – playing at home on a summer Saturday afternoon on August 15, 1998 – when news of the deadly atrocity began to reach Buncrana.
Though he is living thousands of miles away in Vancouver, Canada now, Paul will never forget the sudden feeling of panic in the air that day.
“I was playing with toys in my front garden when we heard the news. My sister came out to our neighbours when we heard. I remember the panic, the feeling of unknowing. There weren’t any mobile phones. There was no instant contact. We all waited in shock. No one knew what to do.”
The 500lb blast would become the single most deadly attack in the history of the Troubles. Among the victims were Sean McLaughlin (12) and Oran Doherty (8), both from Knockalla Drive, who died along with Buncrana’s James Barker (12) as well as Fernando Blasco Baselga (12) and Rocio Abad Ramos (24), two young Spaniards on an exchange trip here. Paul’s song ‘Headlines’ – the title track of his new EP – specifically tells the story of his two young pals, Oran and Sean.
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