This paper describes a community response to a major disaster. In this instance the disaster was the Omagh Bomb of the 75th August 1998. This event was the single most severe in terms of loss of lives and injuries throughout the course of the troubles of the past thit-fy years. The response of the local health care trust was to acknowledge in a symbolic and real way the extent of the tragedy. This paper describes the origins and evolution of this response and describes more specifically the therapeutic work of the team with children and young people over the past two years.It is sometimes mistakenly believed that children are 'resilient' to the kind of distress engendered by major trauma. The role of a Trauma and Recovery Service must be to inform and educate other health professionals, teachers and parents about the possible effects of trauma on young people, as well as offering a therapeutic service to these young people and their families.An effective service for children and adolescents needs to be multi-disciplinary. As well as 'talking therapies' there is a need for art or play therapy since children have difficulty verbalising emotional distress. A flexible approach geared to respond to the individual needs of the child also must involve the family which is the context in which the child dwells. This paper describes how various therapists have engaged some children from Omagh and in different ways helped them and their families express and integrate their experience of the bomb.