News

Omagh bomb murder charges

HIGH-profile republican Seamus Daly was last night charged with the murders of 29 people in the Omagh bombing.

The Real IRA atrocity on August 15 1998 was the single worst bombing of the Troubles.

Twenty nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were killed and more than 200 people were injured in the attack.

No-one has ever been successfully convicted in a criminal court of carrying out the Omagh bombing.

Daly (43), from Cullaville, Co Monaghan, was arrested in Newry on Monday.

He is to appear before Dungannon Magistrates Court today.

He faces a total of 33 charges, including 29 murder charges and two others linked to the Omagh bomb, and two other charges connected to an attempted explosion in Lisburn in April 1998. Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the bombing, said last night the charges were a "significant development".

Mr Gallagher said he planned to be in Dungannon Magistrates Court today for Daly's appearance.

Relatives of some of the victims of the Omagh bombing brought a civil action against the men they claimed were responsible, including Seamus Daly.

Four men, including Daly, were found liable in 2009 for the Real IRA bombing following a civil hearing.

They were later ordered to pay more than £1.5m in damages.

? Story in full ? P4