Armagh man to be charged with carrying out Omagh bombing

The authorities in the North are preparing to charge a 35-year-old south Armagh man with 29 counts of murder in connection with the 1998 Omagh bombing, according to news agency reports.

Sean Gerard Hoey, from Jonesborough, is expected to be charged in the coming weeks. If so, he will be the first person to be brought before the courts for allegedly carrying out the Real IRA attack.

Mr Hoey is already in custody in Maghaberry Prison awaiting trial on separate charges relating to alleged dissident republican activity.

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the 1998 atrocity, said the move was a huge boost to the families of the dead, who have been forced to take civil action against five Real IRA suspects due to the lack of criminal charges in the Omagh case.

"It's enormously important that, after having faced a long, difficult investigation, that the families now are beginning to realise that we are going to see people appear in court for what happened at Omagh," he said.

"All we can do now is do as we have done, keep our faith with the investigation team and leave it up to the courts."