Omagh (TV 2004)

An examination of the aftermath of the 1998 Real IRA bombing that killed 29 people in Omagh, Northern Ireland.

Director:

Pete Travis

Writers:

Paul Greengrass, Guy Hibbert

Stars:

Gerard McSorley, Michèle Forbes, Brenda Fricker

13 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gerard McSorley	...	Michael Gallagher
Michèle Forbes	...	Patsy Gallagher (as Michele Forbes)
Brenda Fricker	...	Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan
Stuart Graham	...	Victor Barker
Peter Ballance	...	Mark Breslin (as Peter Balance)
Pauline Hutton	...	Sharon Gallagher
Fiona Glascott	...	Cathy Gallagher
Kathy Kiera Clarke	...	Elizabeth Gibson
Clare Connor	...	Caroline Gibson
Gerard Crossan	...	Hugh
Ian McElhinney	...	Stanley McCombe
Sarah Gilbert	...	Patricia McLaughlin
Alan Devlin	...	Laurence Rush
Frances Quinn	...	Marion Radford
Tara Lynne O'Neill	...	Carol Radford

Storyline

15 August 1998: the Real IRA exploded a bomb on a crowded street in Omagh, just into Northern Ireland, to halt the Good Friday accords and peace process; 29 people died. Families formed the Omagh Support Group to press the police in their inquiries. The film focuses on the Gallagher family, who lose their son Aiden. His father, Michael, a mechanic, becomes chair of the support group. The press for answers strains his relationship with his wife. High-ranking police speak in bromides. Shadowy figures offer intelligence that calls into question the integrity before and after the bombing of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and its Special Branch. Will the murders remain unsolved?

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Plot Keywords:

police | ireland | ira | bombing | murder | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for an intense scene of terrorist violence, disturbing images and brief strong language

Details

Country:

Ireland UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 2004 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Omagh - Cicatrizes da Paz

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tiger Aspect Productions, Hell's Kitchen International, Channel 4 Television Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song "Broken Things" which was sung by Julie Miller at the end of the film, was performed at the memorial service for the Omagh bomb victims by local singer Juliet Turner.

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Quotes

Michael Gallagher: [final scene, addressing the media pack] The day our loved ones lost their lives and our families were torn apart, we were told that everything would be done to bring their killers to justice. To learn today that they have failed us, before the bomb, after the bomb, and are still failing us now. To have that knowledge, however distressing, however shocking means that we can at last move forward. I would like to announce today that we will be pursuing our own legal action against the Real IRA. ...

User Reviews

The Screen Becomes a Window

I do not believe I have ever seen a movie that more truthfully and compellingly captures tragedy than Pete Travis's Omagh.

Omagh tells the story of the 1998 Real IRA bombing that killed 29 people in the city of Omagh, Northern Ireland, and the aftermath that followed. Yet what endears me to this film is that this could have been any town, any family, any tragedy. The film is completely without frills. It is one of the few films I've seen that does not romanticize death and tragedy. It has no towering musical score telling your emotions where to go (there is no score at all, actually), no dramatic final words, no sanguine epitaphs. Instead, Travis shows us what the camera usually leaves out -- the dirty dishes after the funeral party has left your house, the ubiquitous reporters asking for pictures of the deceased, the kind but nuisance of a neighbor offering help when you just want to be left alone.

The technical aspects of the film were all very well done, as were the actors' performances. Everything about the film makes you feel as though you are looking through a window into what really happened at Omagh, rather than watching an screen adaptation of the events. Omagh is well worth a see.