Queen Elizabeth has visited the site of the Omagh bombing during a tour of Northern Ireland today.
Buckingham Palace says it was "a last-minute decision" in recognition of what happened in 1998 when 29 people were killed in the "Real IRA" bombing.
Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid stood with the queen on the spot the car bomb exploded pointing out to her where the blast had shattered buildings and scythed through crowds of people injuring hundreds more.
The queen spent several minutes listening to Dr Reid's description of the horror, looking up at buildings on both sides of Market Street. One side of the street has been rebuilt, while construction work continues on the other.
The queen and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh received a warm round of applause as they visited the site which came as the queen left Omagh after carrying out what should have been her only engagement in the town at the local library a couple of hundred yards away. The last-minute decision to include a visit to the bomb scene fended off a potential media row. It is understood Buckingham Palace received calls expressing anger and disbelief that an opportunity to show solidarity with the victims of Omagh was about to be missed.
Mr Michael Gallagher, who lost his son Aiden in the bombing, was so disgusted that he rang the Northern Ireland office just ahead of the Queen's visit to express his disgust. Mr Gallagher and other Omagh relatives and victims are due to meet the Queen at a garden party being held in County Tyrone.
Told that the queen's itinerary had been altered to include the bomb site and a slow drive past the memorial garden a few hundred yards away he said "brilliant".
"This will send out a powerful message that the people in high places have not forgotten Omagh and are standing with the people affected who will be very encouraged by this."
He said there is no doubt why she had gone to Omagh - because of the bombing - and it would have been wrong and misguided for her not to have visited the site of the bombing.
PA
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