OMAGH BOMB INQUESTS TO BE HELD IN SEPTEMBER
Omagh bomb inquests to be held in September
By ROSETTA DONNELLY
THE Inquests into those killed in the Omagh bomb will be held in September.
The Herald learned this week that the Inquests are scheduled to begin shortly after the second anniversary of the bomb.
A preliminary hearing will be held on the 30th August, and the Inquests will begin on the 6th September.
The news of the inquests coincides with a. renewed campaign by some of the relatives of those killed and injured in the bomb.
The Omagh Self-Help and Support group is to use the internet to help track down the Omagh bombers and has said that if necessary it will post the names of those believed by RUC and Gardai to have done it.
The determination to hunt down those responsible for the atrocity has become even more intense following a statement by garda chief, Pat Byrne, that the perpetrators may never be brought to justice.
Also this week An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern said he will make an appeal on television for information about the bombers. It will be broadcast on radio and television just before the second anniversary of the bomb along with an appeal from Victor Barker, father of bomb victim, James Barker. Although it has not been finalised, it is believed that a British government official will also issue an appeal for information at that time.
The website, which could be up within the coming weeks, will include information about the August 1998 atrocity.
The names of those who allegedly carried out the bombing have been known to police and gardai but due to lack of evidence, they have not been brought to justice.
The Omagh Support and Self-Help group plans to put information about the Real IRA on the website, and it may ultimately carry the names of those members who did the bombing. Names could also go up of those with sympathies to the Real IRA.
Group chairman, Michael Gallagher, said the new site would be "hard hitting", but he said he hoped to heighten awareness of continuing efforts to find those responsible.
Mr Gallagher said legal advice will be obtained about putting the website up and what exactly can be put on it. "But there will be as much information as possible about the political allies of these people".
He went on "We want people to know what type of views the people who launched this attack have. They showed us no mercy in killing all those innocent people so we are determined to show them none on this site".
The chairman went on to say that care would be taken to ensure that the website does not inflict more pain on those already suffering because of the bomb.
Some relatives have distanced themselves from the work of the Omagh Self-Help and Support group, saying that it "does not represent all of the families.
The group represents about fourteen families, it was confirmed this week.
By ROSETTA DONNELLY
THE Inquests into those killed in the Omagh bomb will be held in September.
The Herald learned this week that the Inquests are scheduled to begin shortly after the second anniversary of the bomb.
A preliminary hearing will be held on the 30th August, and the Inquests will begin on the 6th September.
The news of the inquests coincides with a. renewed campaign by some of the relatives of those killed and injured in the bomb.
The Omagh Self-Help and Support group is to use the internet to help track down the Omagh bombers and has said that if necessary it will post the names of those believed by RUC and Gardai to have done it.
The determination to hunt down those responsible for the atrocity has become even more intense following a statement by garda chief, Pat Byrne, that the perpetrators may never be brought to justice.
Also this week An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern said he will make an appeal on television for information about the bombers. It will be broadcast on radio and television just before the second anniversary of the bomb along with an appeal from Victor Barker, father of bomb victim, James Barker. Although it has not been finalised, it is believed that a British government official will also issue an appeal for information at that time.
The website, which could be up within the coming weeks, will include information about the August 1998 atrocity.
The names of those who allegedly carried out the bombing have been known to police and gardai but due to lack of evidence, they have not been brought to justice.
The Omagh Support and Self-Help group plans to put information about the Real IRA on the website, and it may ultimately carry the names of those members who did the bombing. Names could also go up of those with sympathies to the Real IRA.
Group chairman, Michael Gallagher, said the new site would be "hard hitting", but he said he hoped to heighten awareness of continuing efforts to find those responsible.
Mr Gallagher said legal advice will be obtained about putting the website up and what exactly can be put on it. "But there will be as much information as possible about the political allies of these people".
He went on "We want people to know what type of views the people who launched this attack have. They showed us no mercy in killing all those innocent people so we are determined to show them none on this site".
The chairman went on to say that care would be taken to ensure that the website does not inflict more pain on those already suffering because of the bomb.
Some relatives have distanced themselves from the work of the Omagh Self-Help and Support group, saying that it "does not represent all of the families.
The group represents about fourteen families, it was confirmed this week.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1342
Published Date: 20-Apr-00
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