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The fight goes on for justice, says Omagh families

FAMILIES of the Omagh bomb victims have this week encountered a setback in their landmark £14m civil action against the men they believe to be responsible for carrying out the bombing.
A judge at the Irish Special Criminal Court in Dublin ruled on Monday to deny the Omagh Victims' Civil Action Group access to transcripts and books of evidence from the original trials of the five men they accuse, Michael McKevitt, Seamus Daly, Seamus McKenna, Liam Campbell and Colm Murphy.
The families are still hopeful that their case will be heard in Belfast's High Court later this year. As it is not a criminal case, there will be no convictions for murder, but the families could be awarded damages against the five men.
In August 2003, McKevitt was jailed for 20 years in the Republic of Ireland after being found guilty of directing terrorism and membership of an illegal organisation.
Last week the only man to have been tried and jailed over the Omagh bomb, Colm Murphy, was freed on bail after the Dublin
Special Criminal Court ruled that his original conviction was unsafe and ordered a retrial.
Murphy (51), from Dundalk, Co. Louth, was jailed for 14 years in 2002 for conspiracy to cause an explosion.
Commenting on Monday's ruling, Mr Michael Gallagher said: "We have come to expect disappointments along the way. The authorities have always been quick to give sympathy and slow to give actual support. The fight goes on and we have faith that justice will be done and we will get a fair trial in the end."
Lawyer to the Omagh families, Mr Jason McCue, expressed his faith that their right to a fair trial would prevail in the end.
He said: "The families have only ever asked for justice. They have a right to a fair trial and that fundamental right will prevail in the end. The Irish court has decided not to help out on this occasion which is a great pity, but we have no doubt that the Belfast court, recognising the lengths they have gone to, will now make the usual and appropriate orders to ensure their Article 6 rights are maintained."