Spanish boy studying in Buncrana killed in Omagh was ‘happy and generous child’

A 12-year-old school boy from Madrid killed in the Omagh bomb has been remembered as a “good, happy and generous child with strong religious faith”.

Fernando Blasco Baselga was part of a group of schoolchildren from Spain who had been on a language exchange trip to Donegal, with Buncrana Primary School.

On August 15, 1998 they had visited the Ulster American Folk Park just outside the Co Tyrone town before travelling to Market Street which was devastated by a dissident republican car bomb at 3.04pm. He was among 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, who were killed in the blast.

The inquiry is taking time over the coming weeks to remember each of the victims.

It heard that it was Fernando’s second time on the exchange programme in Donegal.

Solicitor Michael Donaghy read a statement prepared with Fernando’s family in memory of his life to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry on Tuesday.

The 12-year-old had six brothers and sisters at home in the Spanish capital, played handball on his school team and loved food, particularly rice salad.

“He was a good, happy and generous child. He got along well with everyone,” he said.

“At home he made the relationships between everyone easy.

“When asked what was important to him, his response was ‘to reach heaven’, pointing with an arrow upwards towards the word God. That’s what he wanted for his future, he didn’t consider anything else.”

Mr Donaghy said on August 15, Fernando was part of the day trip from Buncrana with 31 Spanish children, and 10 local school children.

“The trip had already visited the Ulster American Folk Park and was in Omagh town centre to do some shopping before heading back to Buncrana,” he said.

“The children on the trip were gathered in the town centre waiting for the area to be declared safe at the time of the explosion.

“Fernando was given a full military escort home to Madrid. His funeral took place in a private chapel in south-west Madrid.”