25 years ago I left N. Ireland. I miss my family so much but I am so glad to live in Canada. It is multi-cultural and I don't know of a better place to bring up a family. Everyone has the freedom to worship and live as they please and it is no one else's business. How does one get this message to the people of my homeland who continue to partake in such atrocity. I know many have tried but now we have another tragedy. To the people of Omagh (including my cousin, who is a resident there but was thankfully out of town when the bombing occurred,) my heart goes out to you all .I have shed tears for you. I pray for you, for the family who lost three children and for families who lost members to sectarian violence (some I know personally) and for all of Ireland. To the minority who continue to inflict pain and hatred, this has to stop, life is too precious. I do not judge you but one day you will be judged and when you can't justify your actions it will be too late!

A. Conlin, Canada

I believe that on the receipt of the "Yes" referendum a law should have been drafted and passed that any acts of torture, murder, bombings etc, from that day forward should be treated as terrorism, and the perpetrators be jailed for life. This would be applied to both sides.Three months ago I shopped on Market St in Omagh. I can hardly believe the devastation.

Isabel Wiese, Canada

As a native of the six counties, though currently vacationing in the U.S., I must say this. As I was born in Dungiven some twenty odd years ago I grew up witnessing many things one should not. I must say that what was once a clear cause has now reached a level of pure lunacy. The organizations that were once stocked with level- headed persons have now obviously been infiltrated with mindless animals. I only hope that when I return home tomorrow I find all friends and loved ones alive and well, and not victims of another thoughtless tragedy.

Brian O'Cassidy

I hope that the cowards who did this horrible deed, live to be a hundred years old with the faces of the children foever imprinted on their tiny little minds.

Anne and Tony Whitten

Our thoughts and prayers go to all the people of Ireland who want nothing more than peace in a country which has seen so little of it. We can only hope that this horrific act of violence is a sign that those who stand only for evil recognize that their time is drawing to a close and are engaging in futile acts of terror, knowing that their countrymen have rejected them and their kind.

K. Robinet, Canada

I am living in Australia but am formerly from Omagh. I woke up on Sunday morning only to hear this unbelieveable news about home. I can't describe the feeling, phoning home to see whether or not my parents were alive and uninjured. I have to thank God that my family was spared, however my heart goes out to those who weren't so fortunate.
This morning on BBC World I saw the photos of 4 of the dead and one of the young girls is a sister of a good friend of mine, I can't imagine what he and his family are going through as are many others. My heart goes out to them.
I had been back at home in Omagh for 4 weeks just two months ago and was in the shop S.D. Kells -where the car bomb was parked outside. I shudder to think that I could have been one of those killed or maimed. 3pm in the afternoon is indeed a prime time, our little town of Omagh is always "buzzing" on a Saturday afternoon. I would have frequently gone into the town at this time on a Saturday just to meet up with friends and have a wander.
No right-minded person can begin to comprehend why anyone would do this or what they think they achieved. These people are ................words cannot describe what they are, but I know one thing - after what they committed and the nature in which they did it - deliberately saying the bomb was at the other end of the town so that the innocent would gather beside the bomb, they do not deserve the right to life. I'm sure no one would disagree with me. Mr Blair and Mr Ahern have got to permanently remove these people. Merely finding them and locking them up is way too good for them. Such an atrocity must not be repeated.
I now nervously watch the BBC World reports waiting to see if any of my friends or neighbours are injured or murdered. God help all of those affected.

Jonathan Millar, Melbourne Australia - formerly from Omagh.

I have witnessed other bombings and horrific events in Northern Ireland in the past 15 years of my life, but for some reason the bombing in Omagh has affected me in a way that none other did.
Perhaps it was the sheer scale of death and destruction or perhaps it was because of the number of young people who were killed or maimed.
Living in Northern Ireland really baffles me. When you go to England or America or somewhere else you don't see people bombing or shooting people because of their religion, and that is essentially what it boils down to here.
I know that some people would argue that it is nothing to do with religion but I believe that it is everything to do with religion. Certainly there are other things that come into it but it is the underlying sectarianism that is in everyone that has left us where we are today.
However today my thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who have been killed or injured or are still missing, probably dead.

Shane Quinn, 15 , Northern Ireland

I cannot believe that after this latest act of inhumanity the politicians involved - of whatever persuasion or allegiance except maybe Sinn Fein - can seriously contemplate freeing more convicted terrorists to join whichever group was responsible, or create more havoc in new splinter groups. To do so would be an insult to everyone in the UK, and especially the troubled people of Northern Ireland. It is time to think again and not risk the lives of more innocents at the hands of barbarians, who seem not to be under the control of anyone attempting to make the peace process work.

Bob Downing, East Sussex, UK

Having lived in Omagh for two years (80/82) I am absolutely devastated as to what has happened this past weekend.
During my time in Omagh, my children attended Primary School and received the very best of education. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our time amongst the lovely and friendly people of Omagh.
In 1976 (17th March) I witnessed the same type of carnage outside the "Hillcrest" in Dungannon. Followed by the bombing of Dungannon Town square. I came to live in Warrington in 1990 and witnessed the bombing of Warrington in 1993 in which two young people died.
And now Omagh! A lovely and peaceful market town. I cannot for the life of me understand the senseless killing of such innocent victims. Such a tragic waste of lives. For what?
The British Government is giving too much and not getting enough back. There has been no decommissioning of arms from the terrorists and has it not taken such a long time for Gerry Adams to condemn the violence? Why till now Mr Adams?
Will this so called peace process really bring the peace that the people of Northern Ireland so richly deserve? Personally I do not think so!

Dave Maltby, Warrington England

Another sickening event and unfortunately not the last. How can there be peace in a land that every year celebrates the slaughter of its neighbours? Every time there is a new atrocity people say "Oh, it's only a minority". Yes, there may only be a few active members of these terrorist groups but what are the majority doing about it? Nothing except cheer at the loss of enemy lives and mourning the loss of their own. I have witnessed it first hand. Enniskillen brought tears of grief, the loyalist throwing grenades at a graveyard, cheers. The legal apartheid that operates in Northern Ireland must be broken down, children allowed to mix, make friends with the "other side". All too quickly an innocent heart is poisoned if no antidote is provided. I am reaching a state of immunity with regards to these atrocities. The saying is something like, "One bomb on the mainland is worth ten at home".

Ronnie Reigstad

Surely the only fitting tribute to all of the innocent people murdered in Omagh is for all of the people of Northern Ireland to join together and make the peace process work, at any cost. The murderers who committed this atrocity did so because they believed that it would de-rail the peace process, and Northern Ireland would return to the anarchy on which they thrive. If we let the peace process fail, they will have won, and the innocents will have died in vain.

Chris Langley, England

I think that what these organisations are doing is very uncalled for. Nobody should suffer the way many hundreds have this week. I visit The Republic of Ireland frequently, but have never been to Northern Ireland. The Irish are very warm, welcoming people and it's such a shame that a very small minority of them are fighting with each other. They should learn to love and respect each other, and leave each other alone.

Gillian, Caernarfon, North Wales

This world is a madhouse. Will we never learn that violence solves nothing? The only consolation to be gleaned from what happened in Omagh is the surety that the perpetrators will die too and in the instant of their deaths will be called to account for their actions. Do these people really believe that any cause has been furthered by this?

Frankie Connolly, Toronto, Canada

As an American of Irish decent I remain totally supportive of the Northern Ireland Peace Accord, and share the sufferings in spirit, of the wonderful people of Ireland. Those who are responsible for this most recent act of violence on the Irish people, and those loyal to the UK, must be held accountable for their actions . Do not be bashful in demanding the full weight of justice being brought to bare on these reckless indiviuals who obviously have no regard for life , be it man, woman , or child.

David Donahue, Newark,Ohio USA

What a sad day for the victims of this terrible, evil, senseless slaughter. What a sad day for all Irish people, what a sad day for Humanity. I was born in Ireland and have been gone for over 20 years but a part of me is always there. I grieve for the victims, their families, neighbours and friends. I grieve for humanity, I grieve.

Kennedy O'Callaghan, Ottawa, Ontario. Canada.

I was just reading your news article about the bombing in Omagh. It is tragic that after so much constructive cooperation by people of good will to achieve peace in Northern Ireland that a band of irrational, psychotic killers would want to halt progress by slaughtering innocent people. The dastardly and deadly endeavors of those terrorists are completely un-Christian. The vicious terrorists responsible for the bombing in Omagh should be hunted down and permanently and irrevocably immobilized.

Michael George Peck, Alexandria, Virginia, USA

There are people in Ireland who know who these bombers are. They are fathers, mothers, uncles, or friends. Perhaps they may like to take a close look at the carnage that prevails today. What have they achieved today? The have made parents into childless couples, they have made children into orphans. They have rooted bitterness in these people for years to come. If Ireland is to ever become a civil and peaceful country these people must be rounded up, put in jail, and never released. This must end.

Rob Guyatt. Croydon, UK. I am in tears.

Carol Pearson

Having just left N.I to marry in the USA I would like to thank the BBC for their comprehensive and sensitive coverage of this tragic event through their website. Its not a time to wonder at technology, but your application of it which allows me to watch the news and live reports has allowed me to feel close to my people. My reaction to the event is anger and sadness. May the people responsible for this rot in guilt and shame. My love goes out to those who have lost friends and family. I think of my own family living in a similar market town and how it could so easily have been me mourning today. Best regards Keith Hunniford

Keith Hunniford

I can only say, and I am not given to knee jerk reactions, that these people when caught should be publicly hanged. They deserve no sympathy and should not be allowed to share the same air as the relatives of their victims.

KJ Bradbury

It's high time that the SAS are allowed to do what they are trained for. Find the terrorists and terminate with extreme prejudice.

M.D.H., USA

A totally senseless act, One cannot conceive what is in the minds of the individuals that do this sort of madness. One can only hope that the sane people of the province will stand up and not allow this to alter the peace process. It must go on there is no other way out. The alternative is years and years more of this senselesss killing. Our hearts as ex-patriates go out to all those that lost loved ones and those that where injured.

Robin Marshall, USA.

My name is Eric Walker and I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Last Sunday Gerry Adams stood outside Belfast City Hall and said the war is not over until I say its over so today his cohorts in death and destruction set out to make their point that the war is still going to go on. Thank you Gerry! The rally that Adams was spouting at was the 27th anniversary of internment. Well, I just wonder if he will be holding a rally for these poor innocent souls who will be interned permanently in the next few days. Does this sound like a bitter letter? Well I am! I actually made the trip home to vote YES! for the peace process. Now I am listening to you interviewing Martin Maginess whom, along with Adams, has condoned the provos over this last 28 yrs. God give the relatives of the dead and injured the strength to go on ,I'm afraid I personally would neither be able to forgive or forget if it was my loved ones who were the victims. Thank you.

Eric Walker

Presumably, if the perpetuators are an IRA splinter group, we have high hopes that the "newly converted to peace IRA" will inform on their former friends?

Paul Wakeford UK

As an emigrant from the Irish Republic, I feel absolute despair tonight over the prospects for peace in Northern Ireland in my lifetime. As much as the majority want peace, it seems that a handful of evil people and their shelterers and apologists will ruin everything. We must have hope, but it is so hard to feel any on this day.

Finbarr Donovan, West Virginia, U.S.A.

I now firmly believe that the only course of action in N.Ireland is for the provisional IRA to go after these so called "Real IRA" and remove them from society. No court cases no internment just shoot them as one would do with any other kind of vermin.The provisional IRA know who they are and where to locate them . Now is the time for them to take a stand for all the Irish peoples and show thier commitment to the peace process.

J.Corrigan

An Ulster Womans' Prayer: Oft through the dusk in the quiet of the night
I jump from my bed in a dreadful fright
To hear a banging on my door
To open a wound once amore
His face is still alive in my dreams
As my mind recalls his final screams
His eyes afire, alive with life
His arms around a pregnant wife
Hair so brown, eyes of blue
Now they are moistened by the dew
With his body tanned so brown
To think its moulding in the ground
Will the gunmen come once more
Knocking, knocking at my door
Will they take a widow's child
In revenge so senseless styled
Women of Ulster pray with me
To see our country finally free
Of the gunmen who bring death
Who rob our children of lifes breath.

Seumas O'Neill (alias James C Clements II in Canada)

Look into the face of a young boy as he sees , not his father but a corpse. People know about these tragedies , for god's sake do something that will give another child many happy years of family life and not just the memory of a wooden box.

David Bell Montreal, Canada

I cannot believe that the horror can get worse. My heart is with the families affected by this outrage. The gunmen cannot be allowed to win.

Mike Griffin, England

Two friends, British and living in Germany have this to say: We are appalled by the events in Ireland today. It' difficult to describe our reaction except to say that we are gutted and that our sympathy lies unreservedly with the families and friends of the dead and injured. We call on the Labour government to suspend all other considerations in the apprehension of the culprits and all Britons, regardless of political or religious persuasion to condemn unreservedly the outrage against our fellow Europeans. If Westminster is incapable of managing the situation, possibly it is time we called on our European and/or UN allies to assist in the resolution of this conflict to ensure that no further barbarism is inflicted on our countrymen.

Phil Pitel and Andrew Goodwin

This bomb was nothing to do with politics. It was cold-blooded murder by a disgruntled bunch of Republicans who now see their raison d'etre rapidly disappearing as a result of the democracy they hate so much. These murderers must be brought to immediate justice if the peace process is to survive beyond its present infancy; and If the will is there, then this could happen within a matter of days.   The security forces will already know who these killers are; and so will Sinn Fein. The former's hands are tied by convention and the law; but the IRA's are not. So I would suggest to Gerry Adams that he arranges for these murderers to be rounded up and delivered to the security forces with maximum publicity. This would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sinn Fein are genuinely committed to the peace process and would also prove as much to the Loyalists and the people of Northern Ireland.  If Sinn Fein do not have the will and commitment to do this, then it must be up to the military to take up the role of state executioner as they did in Gibraltar. There can be no more mass murder in Northern Ireland. The will of the people is at stake.  

Simon Cochrane, Padbury, England

Call the bombers,any bombers, cowards.Cowards do these acts.

Christopher Igleheart, Vermont,U.S.A.

The bomb incident in Omagh is outrageous and the death penalty should be re-enacted for the people who done this horrendous crime. I read your paper every day, keep up the good work.

Helen McIntosh Veal, Texas, USA, formerly from Cambuslang, Scotland

I have been watching the reports all day with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. I am from N. Ireland and my family and friends live there, my heart aches for the people of N.Ireland. The people of Northern Ireland are good people and they deserve better.

Margaret K

I am a Northern Irish, person, currently residing in Perth, Australia. Words failed me this morning as I heard the horrific news. My wife and I awoke to the news on the radio and we just looked at each other in total disbelief! Please pass on our sincere sympathies to all those families so tragically touched by the evil minority. These people will never succeed!!

Dr Iain Watson, Perth, Australia

The only way to stop these people is to stop their funding. If you have ever given to a collection for the "cause", your money bought the explosives that killed those people today. Most of that money comes from the USA. I am Irish living in London. There are a lot of things that have happened in the past that were wrong. Killing people never helps.

Brendan, London

Once again we hear the rhetoric of the righteous. The men who did this hide behind others who speak in half-truths and answer questions with questions. Right now we don't have a clear indication of who committed this terrible crime (not an act of war) but the men who stand in front of the TV cameras know who the leaders of these organisations are. It's time to suspend constitutional rights for terrorists and round-up all those who could possibly be involved (Loyalist and Republican alike) and disarm all the terrorists once and for all. Enough is enough!

Fred, Victoria, Australia The thin veneer of civilization has once again been torn apart in Northern Ireland. Our hearts go out to the people of Omagh. We can only hope that the terrorists responsible for this atrocity are soon caught and punished.

All Republican and Loyalist ambitions are not worth the life of one of the more than 3,000 people who have died in thirty years of political violence.

John Frazer, USA

I live near London, my parents come from Pre WWII central Europe as refugees. That war was fought for something, freedom. I truly believe that the bombers and assassins in N.I. have either lost their way and do not know what they kill for or are just criminals that kill for Gain, power and twisted pleasure.   Bob Neumann

I am an ex pat from Northern Ireland that left the UK to live in New York earlier this year. Before todays barbaric act I looked back over the last couple of years and was glad to see how far we as Northern Irish people had come. Only a couple of months ago the vast majority of Irish people voted for PEACE - something we all long for and deserve. Today we saw people murdered, families destroyed and communities torn apart - WHY ...? So we can have more of the same ... ? No! There can be no cause in a democracy that can claim legitimacy for violence. My thoughts are with the families who have suffered in the most unspeakable way today - you deserve our support NOT those savages that destroy Ireland in its own name. They will not succeed.

Roger Edgar, New York City, USA

The people who murdered these innocent civilians, are not Irishmen: They are anti-Irish irishmen.God please help us find these vermin and bring back the noose into use.

Mike Murphy, New Jersey, USA

I accessed your online news service form here in Australia where I'm working for a year. I am utterly horrified and devastated at the bombing in Omagh. I'm from Newry in Co. Down and beleived that we were well on the road to peace. It makes me wonder what is there for me to come home to? In 30 years on violence what has been acheived? Nothing. How can anyone justify the taking of another human being's life?

Owen Kennedy

I believe that -- for once and unlike in the Middle East -- the forces for peace are strong enough to conitnue the movenment to a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. BUt this shows the carnage a few determined people can creat -- a la Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

Adam McIntosh, South Bned, USA

My name is Robert Walsh. I am a Canadian male of Irish Catholic ancestry. I don't know how to say what's in my heart tonight after hearing of the tragic bloodshed in Omagh. The cowards responsible for this carnage are not great soldiers fighting for the cause. They are cold blooded murderers. If Gerry Adams is to have any credibility at all he must surrender all of the IRA's weapons. My heart goes out to the families of the victims and to all of the people of Northern Ireland. My prayers are with you. God bless you all.

Robert F. Walsh

I'm a resident of the USA.  I previously studied in the UK and came to love your country and its people.   My only remark about the Northern Ireland situation is "How much more do the innocent have to suffer?"  There is no justification for this carnage.   My heartfelt sympathy is with the families of the victims.

Bennie R. Crockett, Jr

I am at present working on a construction project in China where news may take days to filter through. My wife and her family all come from the Omagh area and some of them were in the town when this bomb went of. The shock was horrific and comprehension came only slowly. I have been reading through the reactions from others on the net and it interesting to see the few (fortunately very few) who still regard this form of outrage as a vehicle for political point scoring. Let everyone have no doubt it is this attitude that gives credence to the perpetrators of this type of outrage, they will draw solace from the apparent justification of their position whilst being able to ignore the majority who rightly condemn it. Equally so the other extreme of condemning the Adams's and McGuiness's of this world can only ferment a backlash attitude. There are may people of extremes over home on both sides of the political (not religious) divide, the Paisley's and Robinson's of this world are equally to blame for these types of acts and all their political posturing will do nothing to lessen their personal responsibility to the vast majority of peace loving people of N.ireland. Americans and others that in the past have contributed to so called IRA widows funds that helped lead up to this situation, it includes the British Governments past and present whose prevarication has resulted in unbelievable frustrations to all and sundry. To all these people I have nothing but contempt, but thank god I still believe in democracy which others obviously do not. To the people of Omagh all I can say is part of an old irish blessing, "may god hold you in the palm of his hand" and I would bet he doesn't give a damn if your Catholic, Protestant or come from the dark side of the moon.

Pat Limacher Jaingjin Mainland China

This is so horrible! My prayers are with you all. The peace process MUST continue!

Sondra Hopkins, USA