Shop owner killed in Omagh bombing was ‘moral compass’ of family, inquiry told
Elizabeth ‘Libbi’ Rush was described as ‘wise, compassionate and thoughtful’ by her children at the Omagh bombing inquiry.
A shop owner and mother who was killed in the Omagh bomb blast has been described as “the moral compass” of her family, a public inquiry heard.
The widower of Elizabeth “Lbbi” Rush had “demanded accountability” in the years after her death but was “met with a wall of silence”, their children said.
Inquiry chairman Lord Turnbull acknowledged efforts by Laurence Rush in calling for an inquiry into the Omagh bombing, stating that he was “amongst the first to raise some of the questions which this inquiry will seek to determine”.
Mr Rush died in 2012 at the age of 70.
Mrs Rush was working in her shop when she was killed in the blast on August 15, 1998 at the age of 57.
Originally from Killyclogher on the outskirts of Omagh, she met Laurence Rush at a dance when they were both aged 14.
They married in 1960 at the age of 19, and Mrs Rush ran a shop on Market Street in Omagh for 27 years.
Their daughter Siobhan Rose read out a statement by her and her brothers Anthony and Andrew at the inquiry on Thursday.
“Private and humble, Libbi was, and still is, the moral compass we set our own lives by,” Mrs Rose said.
“We trusted her judgement implicitly. She had empathy, respect and compassion for others. Many believe Libbi would have made a great counsellor. She was respectful to others, wise, compassionate and thoughtful. More than anything else, Libby loved her family with every bone in her body.”
The shop Mrs Rush ran had been a cafe and was later a gift shop where she sold cushions and soft furnishings she had made herself.
“She was widely known throughout the area for her discretion and gentle nature,” her daughter told the inquiry.
“This was a simple, quiet and peaceful normal family life of a woman, a mother and her family that was destroyed.”
She said that on the day of the bombing, she was travelling down on a bus from Belfast.
When it arrived in Omagh at around 3.20pm, “it was apparent that evil was in the air”.
“Women and children in fancy dress – a parade was scheduled at 3pm – were crying and distressed.
“I ran from the (bus) depot, concerned about my mother. A policeman with blood on his shirt recognised me and directed me to the hospital. The hospital was in chaos with blood everywhere, children crying and bodies burnt lying in the corner.
“Confusion and fear filled the air like the apocalypse.”
Both her brothers were in America at the time and watched the news for updates, it was confirmed the next day that their mother had been killed.
Siobhan told the inquiry her father had sought answers on why his wife had been killed but was “met with a wall of silence”.
She said that “even friends and extended family avoided the subject”, but her father was “undeterred”.
“We understand that this culture of silence is a method of coping, but also the external role of silence is a form of paramilitary and state control of our communities.
“Our father Laurence Rush was unable to stay silent, because he knew that silence was a lie.
“This confrontational approach was met with disapproval and ridicule. Politicians, the security forces and the community avoided conversations, not acknowledging the effect on the victims’ families. Even friends and extended family avoided the subject.”
She said that he “demanded accountability and transparency” and “relentlessly confronted all” out of love for his wife.
She said that after “years of silence, apathy and belligerent ignorance”, she and her brothers believe there had been “a deliberate strategy to evade responsibility by the state”.
“We believe the Omagh bomb was a crime against humanity. We believe there were policies in place to ignore or deescalate any tensions that could prompt changes in the current narrative.
“We believe our father’s quest for the truth exposed the atrocity as a premeditated war tactic.
“Experiencing 30 years of war and conflict, retaliation and the cycle of violence, we believe until we address the root causes and social injustices, we will never see resolution.
“Peace will never prevail. Our children will continue to be enemies, divided by the inaccuracies in their history.”
She also said: “The continuous nature of this trauma over many years has had an adverse effect on our family. These strategies have frozen our grieving process.
“Many in our society and in our own community feel we should move on and forget the past.
“They, however, will never really understand until they consider things from the point of view of a victim or survivor. You cannot judge until you climb inside our skin and walk around in it.
“We have personally and privately mourned the loss of our mother. However, what has been more difficult is to grieve and come to terms with the indignity of her untimely and violent death.”
A video of Mr and Mrs Rush’s wedding was shown at the inquiry, as well as a montage of photographs including of Mrs Rush’s cafe and of her grandchildren.
Mrs Rush’s son Andrew read a poem written by their father called ‘Petals of Hope’, written in December 1999.
Photographs of Laurence Rush and a hat belonging to him were also displayed at the inquiry.
