Omagh Page #6

- Really, I'm fine.

You both look terrible.

- I've been to a meeting.

- You're always at a meeting.

Every time I've rung,

you're at a meeting.

Or on TV.

Please, stop arguing.

What's the use

of all this running around?

Do you really think

they care what you're doing?

Do you think they're gonna stop

the shooting and the bombing

just because

you gave an interview

to the "Belfast Telegraph"

or the BBC?

Who are you doing it for?

I'm doing it for Aiden.

Aiden's dead!

He's dead.

You should be here, Daddy.

Looking after us.

White said they were trying to

protect an informer.

What about protecting

our families?

Flanagan

better have some answers.

We'll get some answers,

hopefully.

The Chief Constable

will see you now.

Morning.

Laurence Rush.

Elizabeth Gibson.

Kevin Skelton.

I'm very grateful

to have this opportunity

to talk to you all today,

personally,

and to try to reassure you

after some of the things

that have been said.

I know you'll be concerned

about the Fulton case,

and so I wanted to brief you

myself.

Look...

it's very difficult.

The world of intelligence

is murky,

and trying to anticipate

the intentions

of a terrorist organization

like the Real IRA

is difficult.

We need good,

reliable information.

A good informer

is worth his weight in gold.

But a bad one is a disaster.

And Kevin Fulton was a bad one.

He made things up.

For money.

Trying to tell us what

he thought we wanted to hear.

So we cut him off.

There was nothing else to do.

But he said he knew.

He warned you.

He knew

there was something big on.

Well, I'm sorry, obviously,

that he's been given

the prominence in the media

that he has,

but I can assure you

that there's nothing in this.

Nothing.

I've looked into it myself.

Shouldn't there be

an independent opinion on this?

The Police Ombudsman,

aren't they looking into it?

The Ombudsman is there

to deal with routine complaints,

to give the communities

a stake in policing

after Good Friday.

Yeah, but what is the point

of the Ombudsman

if it isn't looking

into the things

that we want investigated?

What we're talking about

is intelligence.

MI5, Special Branch.

It's not the proper area

for the Ombudsman.

It's far too sensitive.

Surely, you understand that.

Well, what about the Garda's

surveillance man in Dublin?

He's telling the same stories.

Well, obviously,

I can't speak for the Garda,

and Detective Sergeant White

is not one of my officers.

I think he was suspended.

Wasn't he, George?

Michael.

Can I call you Michael?

I understand the frustration

that you all feel,

that we all feel,

when something like this

comes up.

I just wish

that you had come to me earlier

with your concerns.

I could've saved you

the trouble.

Michael,

I know you want progress.

So do I.

We all do.

But you're scaling down

the investigation.

Manpower adjustments

are always reviewed

as any investigation progresses.

There's nothing abnormal

in that.

Do you seriously think

that I would do anything

to jeopardize the inquiry?

You have to trust us.

Otherwise, what else is there?

Did White not tell you

he was in trouble?

We need to be more careful

about who we trust.

Who's to say Flanagan's telling

us the whole story about Fulton?

Now the Chief Constable's

lying, is he?

We set up this organization

to help the police,

not put them in the dock.

You tell me what he's done!

If it's not true,

then where's his answers?

What are you saying?

He's not doing his best?

No! No, I don't think

he is doing his best!

He's trying to catch the men

who killed our daughter.

He's all we've got.

This whole thing stinks.

If you think that we're being

told the whole truth,

you're more stupid and naive

than I thought.

I won't be a part of this

anymore.

We come here to support

each other, not listen to this.

Och, Hugh, wait.

I'm sorry, Michael.

- Laurence...

- Don't!

Don't you start.

I'll not stand by

and let them get away with it.

And if I have to sue the RUC

and the British government,

I'll do it on my own.

It's not working, is it?

None of it.

It's been a difficult day.

No.

I mean the whole campaign.

What have we achieved?

Michael, we have achieved...

No, I mean, Stanley,

what have we actually achieved?

We've started the civil action.

We've started nothing.

We just talked about

starting it, that's all.

That's not true.

I'm gonna set up meetings

in London next month.

We need a million pounds.

That's what we need.

They're closing down

the investigation.

They're never gonna catch them.

Never.

They're still

shooting and bombing.

They're still walking around

the place, drinking in bars,

having a good life,

laughing at us.

I mean, there's been

over 2,000 unsolved murders

since the beginning

of the Troubles.

Why should we be any different?

I mean, maybe they're right.

Maybe us pursuing our campaign

is destroying the Peace Process.

Michael, you can't start

thinking like...

Och, face it, Stanley,

we're getting nowhere.

We have supported each other.

We've kept each other going.

Is that not enough

to be going on with?

Not anymore, Stanley.

I'm staying home now.

Just thought I'd come back,

try and work again, you know?

We planned it all together,

you know?

he said.

When I got too old

to get out of a chair.

No, it's okay, it's okay.

He wasn't just my son, you know.

He was my workmate.

Everything.

He was everything to me.

And...

when I'm in the house...

and the three of you

are talking together...

still doing all the things

you've always done...

And I tell myself it's not fair.

I tell myself it's not true.

Inside, I feel

he meant more to me.

And I know that's awful...

to feel like that.

Because I know

how much you loved him.

But...

I can't feel the way you feel.

Only the way I feel.

Patsy, I think

I'll just go down to the Birches

and see what's going on.

The Ombudsman's

giving a report today.

Yes, I know.

I saw it in the paper.

Well, I won't be long.

Just think I should show

some solidarity, you know?

All right.

See you later.

Aye.

See you later.

Okay.

- How are you?

- Not too bad.

Ladies and gentlemen,

thank you all

for coming here this morning.

Michael, welcome back.

I just dropped in, that's all.

How's Patsy?

Much better than before, thanks.

I think you all know about

the "Sunday People" article

in which a man

calling himself Kevin Fulton

claimed that he had

told the police about Omagh.

We felt it essential

to investigate these allegations

not least to show the people

in Northern Ireland

that we are serious

about a new era in policing.

I want to introduce you now

to the Police Ombudsman,

Nuala O'Loan,

who will take you further

into the presentation.

Good morning,

ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning.

The Omagh bomb was the most

grave and exceptional crime

in the history

of Northern Ireland,

and the failure

to bring prosecutions

shames us all.

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