Remembering the five rail workers killed by train

A woman and a man sit together in a leisure centre. They are warmly dressed in coats and a scarf. The woman has short pixie cut grey hair and the man is grey haired with a somber expression.

Siobhan Mullen's grandfather and Leo Flanagan's father, Charlie, died in the incident

Elaine Mitchell
BBC News NI south west reporter

A memorial to five men killed by a train in Omagh, County Tyrone, has been upgraded ahead of the 75th anniversary of their deaths.

The railway workers died after being struck by a passenger train as they carried out routine maintenance work on the Derry Road line.

John Cassidy, John Cleary, John McCrory, Dan McCrory and Charles (Charlie) Flanagan were permanent way men, responsible for maintaining the track.

More than 200 people attended the remembrance service on Monday at the newly improved memorial garden, funded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

A large crowd of people outside. Some are sitting and behind them there are rows people standing.

More than 200 people attended the remembrance service on Monday

"It's just lovely to keep their memory alive," Mr Flanagan's granddaughter told BBC News NI.

Heavy fog had descended over Omagh that morning and the noise of the Enniskillen train idling in the station meant that the men weren't aware of the oncoming train bound for Belfast.

Two died instantly, two more succumbed to their injuries later that day and Mr Flanagan died the following morning.

Their deaths left 19 children without fathers.

One of them was Leo Flanagan. He was only nine months old when he, and his three siblings, aged seven and under, lost their father Charlie.

A sculptural silhouette of a train sits alongside a railway track. The depiction of the train bears the mark (GNR) 1 170 in gold lettering. The wooden rail sleepers have a sprinkling of snow upon them. Behind is a fenced garden with trees circling the background.

The new memorial features a train image and original track from the Derry Road Line

"I heard people talking about it growing up but I didn't understand," he told BBC News NI.

"It was tough for my mother. There was no help there, no money in them days, nothing. It was very tough but she got us here."

He remembers his older sister describing the last time she saw her father.

"She was sitting on the stairs, looking at her daddy going to work and he didn't come back," he said.

Mr Flanagan had worked on the railway lines for 25 years.

"He was 50 when he died but I'm told he was very quiet and just worked for his family and children. He was a nice father, as far as I know."

A model railway station sits inside a wood and glass display case. The model biggest in shot is of the station building a grey brick structure with a tiled roof.

A model of the Omagh Railway Station in the Station Centre

His loss is still deeply felt in the Flanagan family, his granddaughter added.

"I hear mammy talk fondly about him but it's very hard for her to talk - she's still very emotional," said Siobhan Mullen.

"It must have been just horrendous for my granny, but she's such a strong woman."

The renewed memorial has been warmly received by the families.

"It's just this lovely to keep their memory alive," Mrs Mullen said.

A black and white image of a steam train. The train is arriving at Omagh station as signified by the sign on the right hand side of the railway lines. Omagh Heritage Forum

A train arriving at Omagh Railway Station back in the 1950s

In the 25 years since the original memorial was built it had become obscured from view.

But local volunteers, including Mark McGrath and Paddy Hunter, have led the restoration project.

A man sits in a leisure centre. He is dressed warmly in a black coat with a grey woolen polo neck jumper underneath. He has grey hair and dark eyebrows.

Paddy Hunter is one of the volunteers who has driven the memorial project

The rejuvenated memorial garden is on the site of the station master's house.

It has a six-metre section of the Derry Road railway line with sleepers and track chairs from the time and line the accident happened on.

A man sits in a leisure centre. He has grey hair and is smiling at the camera. His brows and raised. He's dressed in a t-shirt, with a zip up hoodie and a body warmer on top. behind him are some chairs and a noticeboard.

Mark McGrath says he does not want to see the memory of the tragedy fade away

"It was a tragedy that rocked Omagh," said Mark McGrath.

"Five men to be killed like that was unthinkable.

"We don't want their memory or the memory of the railway to be forgotten."

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