State may aid Omagh families’ fight for justice

THE Government may provide the families of Omagh victims with financial aid for their civil case against those allegedly behind the atrocity, it emerged last night.

As relatives of the Omagh bomb victims last night celebrated a stg£800,000 (€1,100,000) fund donated by the British Government, the Irish authorities confirmed they were also considering financial assistance.

A Government spokesperson said that in the context of ongoing meetings with the Omagh relatives the issue of financial aid had been raised but was yet to be decided.

However, the Government, which was criticised in recent days by the relatives for seeking fees for Special Criminal Court transcripts, gave no timeframe for their decision.

The announcement yesterday by Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy that the British Government would provide the families with the money they need to raise to fund a civil action against the five men believed to have committed the Omagh bombing was hailed as a major breakthrough.

Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Aidan was among the 29 people killed in the 1998 bombing said it was “fantastic and unbelievable news”.

The cash injection to the families’ legal fund will now enable relatives to pursue their claim for €14 million in damages against a group of suspects which includes Real IRA terror boss Michael McKevitt, who was jailed for 20 years on Thursday for directing terrorism.

The Omagh bombing was the worst atrocity in Northern Ireland’s history. The car bomb devastated the town centre on August 15, hundreds were injured.

In January 2002, father-of-four Colm Murphy became the only person to be convicted of plotting the attack.

The Special Criminal Court in Dublin sentenced the Dundalk-based builder and publican to 14 years in jail.

Last summer, solicitors acting on behalf of the Omagh Victims’ Civil Action Group served writs on five people suspected of involvement in the bombing.

The legal documents were given to Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell and Colm Murphy in Portlaoise Jail.

Solicitor Jason McCue visited Dundalk last July to served writs on two others, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna, but neither were present and the writs were handed to relatives or posted.

In February, the families also subpoenaed Sinn Féin MPs Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Pat Doherty to appear in court during the civil action, along with leading Belfast republicans Brian Gillen and Brian Keenan.