Michael Gallagher whose son Aidan was killed in the Omagh Bombing has won his appeal to challenge the decision to refuse an official enquiry into the attack. The courts have found he has presented sufficient grounds that the authorities may have breached their investigative obligations.
On the 15th August 1998 a bomb exploded in the busy town of Omagh, Co Tyrone. The car bearing false plates was driven across the Irish border and parked , filled with 230 kilograms of explosives outside S.D. Kells’ clothes shop in Omagh’s Lower Market Street .The bomb killed 29 (31) innocent civilians including children and unborn twins and injured an estimated 22 other innocent people who were just going about their daily lives at the time of the catastrophic blast.
The atrocity was claimed by the Real IRA , the event caused irreparable damage to the dissident campaign and the Real IRA agreed to disarmament shortly afterwards.
The British Government refused the calls for a public enquiry and for years many have believed there to be evidence that information was withheld by the security forces and that the RUC (PSNI) acted cautiously on the information the possessed.
A full length hearing will be scheduled which will show whether the state properly investigated the circumstances surrounding the bombing.