FAMILIES RELIEVED BATTLE WILL CONTINUE
Families 'relieved' battle will continue
By Valerie Robinson
Southern Correspondent
SURVIVORS of the Omagh bomb have vowed to continue their battle to bring the bombers to justice after Michael McKevitt was convicted of directing terrorism.
Members of the Omagh Support & Self Help Group were in the Special Criminal Court yesterday to hear three judges also find the Dundalk man guilty of membership of the Real IRA.
Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Aidan was killed in the 1998 car bomb, later said that those bereaved and injured in the Real IRA blast were "relieved" at the verdict.
"We feel a great sense of relief. There is no joy or happiness, just relief that this individual has eventually been brought before the courts and now he will be put in a place where he can't do harm to any other families," he said.
Mr Gallagher, who helped found the relatives' support group, said those affected by the atrocity continued to feel disappointed that five years after Omagh no-one had yet been charged with the murders of the 29 killed, plus two unborn babies.
"McKevitt was a founder member of the Real IRA and he ran it from the beginning.
"We are very disappointed that charges haven't been brought in relation to Omagh," he said.
However, the Co Tyrone man added that his group, which is bringing a civil action against McKevitt and four other men, would use the evidence heard in the Special Criminal Court during the 26-day trial in its case.
Mr Gallagher praised the gardai who investigated the Omagh bomb and helped bring McKevitt before the court, as well as "the courage" of FBI agent and central witness David Rupert.
Lawrence Rushe, whose wife Libby was killed in the explosion, said he was "delighted" that McKevitt was convicted on both charges.
Mr Rushe, who regularly attended the hearing in Dublin, said he hoped that McKevitt would "get a sentence which is parallel to the sentence he has given us in Omagh, and particularly my children and my wife".
Stanley McCombe, whose wife Ann was also killed in the attack, said the verdict proved that the net was closing on those responsible.
"We know now what we suspected all along. McKevitt is a terrorist, a man who has the blood of innocent people on his hands," he said.
Garda Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Callinan said the verdict represented "a significant result for those of us engaged in the job of investigating terrorism".
"It was a particularly long process in that we had a number of court appearances and very complex security issues," he said.
He thanked the FBI and MI5 for their cooperation in the trial, singling out FBI agent David Rupert for special praise.
"The decision today has vindicated his position and we are very, very grateful to him for having come forward," he said.
"It was a very brave thing to do."
But he stressed that despite the "significant conviction" there was a continuing threat to the democratic process in Ireland.
Labour deputy leader Liz McManus described the verdict as an important victory for the gardai in the battle against paramilitary organisations.
The TD said she hoped it would bring "some small degree of comfort to those who lost relatives in the Omagh bombing that a senior figure in the organisation responsible for this terrible atrocity has now been convicted of serious offences carrying very severe penalties".
She urged the Irish government to consider what assistance it could provide to the Omagh relatives in their civil action.
Meanwhile, Conservative Northern Ireland spokesman Lord Glentoran said: "We are delighted with the guilty verdicts delivered against Michael McKevitt in Dublin today.
"We hope it will prove a significant blow to the Real IRA and a boost to the war against dissident republican terrorism.
Ex-Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson called the verdict "very encouraging" and said the British and Irish governments must do more to help the Omagh families pursue their civil action.
"The Real IRA still exists. We should not let our security go down. But let's be under no illusions. This is a huge breakthrough in the fight against terrorism.
"It will strengthen the peace process in Northern Ireland."
Mr Mandelson praised the families for the pressure they had applied to see justice done and said the British government should now give "much needed assistance" to the families in the civil action.
"So far, amazingly, the only people who have been given any possibility of legal aid in relation to this civil action are Mr McKevitt and others who are facing action by the families," he said.
By Valerie Robinson
Southern Correspondent
SURVIVORS of the Omagh bomb have vowed to continue their battle to bring the bombers to justice after Michael McKevitt was convicted of directing terrorism.
Members of the Omagh Support & Self Help Group were in the Special Criminal Court yesterday to hear three judges also find the Dundalk man guilty of membership of the Real IRA.
Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son Aidan was killed in the 1998 car bomb, later said that those bereaved and injured in the Real IRA blast were "relieved" at the verdict.
"We feel a great sense of relief. There is no joy or happiness, just relief that this individual has eventually been brought before the courts and now he will be put in a place where he can't do harm to any other families," he said.
Mr Gallagher, who helped found the relatives' support group, said those affected by the atrocity continued to feel disappointed that five years after Omagh no-one had yet been charged with the murders of the 29 killed, plus two unborn babies.
"McKevitt was a founder member of the Real IRA and he ran it from the beginning.
"We are very disappointed that charges haven't been brought in relation to Omagh," he said.
However, the Co Tyrone man added that his group, which is bringing a civil action against McKevitt and four other men, would use the evidence heard in the Special Criminal Court during the 26-day trial in its case.
Mr Gallagher praised the gardai who investigated the Omagh bomb and helped bring McKevitt before the court, as well as "the courage" of FBI agent and central witness David Rupert.
Lawrence Rushe, whose wife Libby was killed in the explosion, said he was "delighted" that McKevitt was convicted on both charges.
Mr Rushe, who regularly attended the hearing in Dublin, said he hoped that McKevitt would "get a sentence which is parallel to the sentence he has given us in Omagh, and particularly my children and my wife".
Stanley McCombe, whose wife Ann was also killed in the attack, said the verdict proved that the net was closing on those responsible.
"We know now what we suspected all along. McKevitt is a terrorist, a man who has the blood of innocent people on his hands," he said.
Garda Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Callinan said the verdict represented "a significant result for those of us engaged in the job of investigating terrorism".
"It was a particularly long process in that we had a number of court appearances and very complex security issues," he said.
He thanked the FBI and MI5 for their cooperation in the trial, singling out FBI agent David Rupert for special praise.
"The decision today has vindicated his position and we are very, very grateful to him for having come forward," he said.
"It was a very brave thing to do."
But he stressed that despite the "significant conviction" there was a continuing threat to the democratic process in Ireland.
Labour deputy leader Liz McManus described the verdict as an important victory for the gardai in the battle against paramilitary organisations.
The TD said she hoped it would bring "some small degree of comfort to those who lost relatives in the Omagh bombing that a senior figure in the organisation responsible for this terrible atrocity has now been convicted of serious offences carrying very severe penalties".
She urged the Irish government to consider what assistance it could provide to the Omagh relatives in their civil action.
Meanwhile, Conservative Northern Ireland spokesman Lord Glentoran said: "We are delighted with the guilty verdicts delivered against Michael McKevitt in Dublin today.
"We hope it will prove a significant blow to the Real IRA and a boost to the war against dissident republican terrorism.
Ex-Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson called the verdict "very encouraging" and said the British and Irish governments must do more to help the Omagh families pursue their civil action.
"The Real IRA still exists. We should not let our security go down. But let's be under no illusions. This is a huge breakthrough in the fight against terrorism.
"It will strengthen the peace process in Northern Ireland."
Mr Mandelson praised the families for the pressure they had applied to see justice done and said the British government should now give "much needed assistance" to the families in the civil action.
"So far, amazingly, the only people who have been given any possibility of legal aid in relation to this civil action are Mr McKevitt and others who are facing action by the families," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0597
Published Date: 07-Aug-03
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