Northern Ireland

Shankill bomb play to be shown as part of Féile an Phobail

Gina Murray, whose daughter Leanne (13) died in the Shankill bomb
Gina Murray, whose daughter Leanne (13) died in the Shankill bomb Gina Murray, whose daughter Leanne (13) died in the Shankill bomb

A heartbreaking play depicting the journey of a mother who lost her only daughter in the Shankill bomb is to be staged as part of this year's Féile an Phobail.

What If, written and directed by Patricia Downey, was first shown at a venue on the Shankill last year to mark the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Spanner in the Works Theatre Company is staging the play, developed in partnership with Kilcooley Women’s Centre in Bangor.

It is based on the story of Gina Murray who lost her 13-year-old daughter Leanne in bombing.

Victims campaigner Alan McBride, whose wife Sharon and father-in-law John died in the 1993 IRA attack, described the play as a "powerful, moving and ultimately life-affirming experience".

"There is an obvious reason why I wanted to see this play and then having seen it would want as many other people as possible to experience it as I did," he said.

"The play is not political and it doesn’t attempt to score political points.

"At its heart it’s about a mother who lost her daughter and the strength that she probably didn’t know she had, to go beyond coping with it.

"It could be about any mother facing the same devastating blow that was almost literally soul destroying.

"But of course the context is what happened on the Shankill Road that day".

Mr McBride added that the fact the play will be performed on the Falls Road was important.

"I heartily commend the Feile an Phobail for seeing it for what it is and putting it on as part of the festival.

"We need to hear each other’s stories of hurt and loss and when we do as often as not we find that our stories are your stories and your stories are our stories."

The play will be performed on Thursday August 1 at 8pm in St Mary’s University College. Tickets are available from ticketmaster.ie priced £10, with a limited number available at the door.