THE Omagh Bombing Inquiry opened today with the first oral hearings from survivors and those directly affecting by the bombing.
Over the next four weeks the Inquiry, which is sitting in Strule Arts Centre in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, will hear personal insights on the impact of the attack on the town 27 years ago.
Led by Lord Alan Turnbull, the Inquiry is intended to establish the preventability of the Real IRA bombing in August 1998, which killed 29 people and two unborn children, and injured 220 others.
The first part of the Inquiry will be the Commemorative and Personal Statements hearings, which began today.
“The hearings have two key purposes,” the Inquiry explained, “first, to commemorate publicly each person who was killed in the bombings…and second to hear personal statements from those who were injured in or were directly affected by the bombing.”
In the days to come a series of ‘pen portraits’ will be delivered to the Inquiry to “explain who each person who died was in life, recognise their individuality and allow family members to set out the impact of their death and the atrocity”.
The hearings are expected to end by February 20, 2025.
The Inquiry will sit from Monday to Thursday each week and is expected to hear approximately four commemorations or personal statements each day.
Tánaiste Simon Harris was welcomed the start of proceedings, claiming “everybody in Ireland remembers the horror of that sunny August afternoon in Omagh”.
“Today will be another stark reminder of the pain and suffering caused to so many families as the commemorative hearings begin,” he added, “but it is important to remind ourselves of the full horror of that brutal attack, to remind ourselves of the purpose of this Inquiry.”
He added: “When I was Taoiseach, the Government took a clear decision to assist the Omagh Inquiry.
“That commitment was made clear, publicly, at the preliminary hearing last August.
“The Programme for Government repeats that commitment in no uncertain terms, stating plainly that we will “play our full part in legacy processes…including facilitating and supporting the Omagh Inquiry”.
“The cross border nature of the assistance, to an inquiry established under UK law, means that it takes some work to get the details of the mechanisms of cooperation right, but we are actively engaging in this work and we will not be found wanting.”