`Good triumphs over evil - that must be the message of Omagh'

Paul Devine carried the small white coffin into the church in the crook of his arm like a cot. His 21-month-old daughter, Breda, had been murdered in "an attack on family and everything we hold dear", Dr Edward Daly told the funeral congregation at St Mary's Church outside Donemana yesterday morning.

"Breda was born several weeks premature," the former Bishop of Derry said in his homily after the simple funeral Mass. "She had a very tough struggle for life on this earth, a struggle to live, and she won that struggle through the loving care of nurses, doctors and her family.

"As a people we cherish our children, the sight of the tiny white coffin evokes feelings of sadness, anger, puzzlement and dismay," he said. "The enormity of this foul deed is that Breda's mammy, Tracey, and her uncle, Gary, and his fiancee, Donna-Marie, are all seriously ill in hospital in Belfast."

Mr Devine sat beside the coffin with two of his three children, his arm around his eldest child, six-year-old Aaron. His daughter, Niamh, carried three yellow roses. There is another son, Shay.

The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, was in the congregation and the Government was represented by Minister of State, Ms Mary Wallace. Dr Daly described the bomb as "evil of the most horrific kind".

Among the victims had been "parents and grandparents, children and infants, men, women and teenagers, locals and strangers, Protestants and Catholics". He said it had been "a massacre of innocents".

The huge wave of sympathy and revulsion from all over the world "represents what is good in our community", he said. "Today is a day when we bury those who are dear to us and precious to us and special to us" and the community would have to "comfort the bereaved and heal the injured". There would also need to be "support for those involved in the political process", he said. "Good always triumphs over evil eventually. That must be the message of Omagh. We've had enough of conflict, enough of conflict, far too much of it."

The men of violence had to "close up shop permanently, for good", he said. Omagh has been the worst atrocity of the Troubles. "Is it too much to ask, or too much to hope that it will also be the last atrocity of all?"

The parish priest, Father George Doherty, asked the congregation to "include in your prayers those responsible for this suffering". Breda had been a special child, he said, "sadly Tracey is now struggling for her life as Breda struggled 21 months ago".

Paul Devine had been given "such a huge burden of sadness, mixed with hope", Father Doherty said. "Breda's short life is over through the cruel action of a stranger, may God forgive him for his terrible sins."

A group of boys from the Under 12s GAA football team lined up for the funeral. Locals said it had been the second funeral of the Troubles so far this year in the small village. Earlier they had buried local man, Michael Conway, who was shot dead in Belfast.

As Paul Devine walked the short distance to the churchyard his small son kept his left hand on the coffin carrying his baby sister. Drizzle became driving rain when the coffin was lowered, with a wail of anguish from the baby's aunts and uncles who held each other at the graveside.

Mr Devine threw one of the roses into the grave, handing the second to Aaron and the last to Niamh. After the two childish throws the grave was covered for the final prayer.