A SURVIVOR of the Enniskillen bombing is leading a call for a permanent memorial to be erected on the site of the Poppy Day atrocity.
Jim Dixon – the most seriously injured person to survive the 1987 terrorist attack – has launched an appeal for a monument to be placed in the Fermanagh town to remember those who lost their lives in the massacre.
Eleven people were killed in the no-warning IRA blast which exploded during a Remembrance Sunday ceremony at Enniskillen’s cenotaph.
Another victim died 13 years later after lying in a coma.
This November marks the 25th anniversary of the bombing, which caused widespread revulsion across the political divide.
Whilst bronze doves were added to the re-built war memorial in recognition of those who lost their lives in the blast, Mr Dixon believes there is a need for a separate monument in honour of the innocent victims.
The Enniskillen man – who still bears the physical scars of the explosion – also confirmed that campaigners would be seeking funding from the Stormont Executive for the remembrance project.
Speaking in his capacity as chairman of the town’s Ely Centre, Mr Dixon said: “Hundreds of millions have been spent investigating Londonderry’s Bloody Sunday; £30 million is being injected into the Long Kesh site. We are seeking a fraction of this for a prominent and important memorial to be erected adjacent to the site of the Enniskillen ‘Bloody Sunday’ massacre.
“At present we have nowhere to remember and commemorate those whose lives were destroyed on that day and we as victims are entitled to this most basic act of remembrance.”
Mr Dixon continued: “We did not choose to lose our loved ones on that day, we did not want to be left to live a life of pain but we are victims of the IRA terrorist campaign. By having nothing to commemorate the Enniskillen bomb leaves us with a deeper sense of injustice and despair and in some instances guilt for not having done something sooner to commemorate our loss.”
While admitting that the design of any new memorial is in its early stages and would require relevant planning approval, Mr Dixon believes there is no reason why a monument could be not be erected in time for the atrocity’s landmark anniversary on November 8.
“Now is the time for a permanent memorial for the atrocity of that day,” he said.
“If Enniskillen in 1987 was deemed legitimate for a bomb to be planted, then in 2012 it is legitimate for a memorial to be erected to reflect the suffering of such an inhumane and callous act.
“There are consequences to every action and this call for a memorial will be a consequence of the decision to target the innocent attending the Remembrance Day parade.”
The Ely Centre has established a Victims’ Appeal Fund to facilitate donors seeking to help in the project.
Further information can be obtained by calling 028 6632 0977 or by emailing the organisation at info@victimsurvivor.com