Omagh Bombing Public Inquiry Opens to Examine Preventability of 1998 Attack

The inquiry will hear from victims' families and survivors while investigating whether UK and Irish authorities could have stopped the Real IRA bombing that killed 29 people.

• The public inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing, Northern Ireland's deadliest attack during the Troubles, has officially begun, with hearings scheduled over the next four weeks.
• Families of the 29 victims and survivors will provide testimony, commemorating loved ones and sharing the lasting impact of the attack, which injured over 220 people.
• The inquiry, chaired by Lord Alan Turnbull, will investigate whether British and Irish intelligence agencies and police could have prevented the bombing by acting on prior information.
• The Real IRA, a dissident Republican group, claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred just four months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement; no one has been criminally convicted for the bombing.
• Key aspects include examining intelligence-sharing protocols, alleged missed warnings, and the role of wiretaps and vehicle monitoring in the lead-up to the attack.

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