Family of Olive Hawkes ‘torn apart’ in aftermath of Omagh bomb

The family of Olive Hawkes was “torn apart” after the Omagh bomb when the much-loved mother and wife was killed while doing her regular Saturday shopping.

Mrs Hawkes, a 60-year-old mother-of-two, was remembered at the Omagh Bombing Inquiry on Tuesday by her son and daughter, Mark Hawkes and Mandy Walker.

This is the second of four weeks of commemorative hearings to give the families of the 29 victims an opportunity to pay tribute to their lost loved ones.

The inquiry heard that Olive had been due to celebrate her ruby wedding anniversary with her husband, Percy, just days after the bombing.

Counsel for the family, Beth McMullan, read out a pre-written statement from the family.

They said: “Mummy was a housewife, and her priority was always caring for her family.

“Daddy was a very humorous man, and him and mum were regarded as good company.

“Mum was very much the boss of the home, and dad was very content with this position, and in so many ways, they were really a perfect partnership.

“As children, we wanted for nothing, and have wonderful memories of having loving, attentive parents, and there was always laughter in our home.

“She was also a great baker and loved gardening. In essence, she was the glue that made the family so close, and we were truly spoiled having her as our mum.

“As a family, we attended a Methodist church, where mum was also the treasurer for over 25 years. Mum was also an active member of the Women’s Institute, and in all she touched and enriched so many lives.”

The family said they could identify their mother only by the shoes she wore the day she was killed.

They added: “We went up to the morgue up at the army camp, but we were not taken to see our mum. Instead, we were shown her gold shoes that I, Mark, knew she had been wearing when she left home.

“Mummy’s identity eventually had to be confirmed by her fingerprints, and this harsh reality made our pain even more unbearable.

“When mummy was brought home, daddy thought about opening the coffin, as he was so distraught, and we all questioned for some time whether or not we had really laid our mummy’s body to rest.

“We finally received some peace at the inquest when we met the young police officer who assured us that he had cared for our mummy following the bomb and that she had been given some dignity.

“Our little family was torn apart on the 15th of August 1998 and the trauma of the manner in which we lost our mum is always with us and undoubtedly impacted the lives we now live and the people we are.”