Michael Gallagher, the father of Aiden Gallagher, one of the 29 victims of the Omagh bombing, has stated that the investigation into the bombing needs to reveal “uncomfortable truths” to avert further catastrophic events. Gallagher, who lost his son during the devastating 1998 bombing, has described the event as the most significant security and intelligence debacle in the country’s history as the inquiry begins its initial public hearing.
Gallagher, along with other families mourning their lost loved ones, has been advocating over two decades for a thorough investigation into the rebellious republican bomb that shook the town of Tyrone County on August 15, 1998, resulting in the death of 29 individuals, inclusive of a woman expecting twins. Gallagher expressed that the inquiry has been an extensively lengthy time in the making.
Lord Turnbull, the chair, and his counsel, Paul Greaney KC, will give their opening remarks when the proceedings commence at Omagh’s Strule Arts Centre on Tuesday. Gallagher noted that this would be the first time the grieving families, including those affected in Spain, would assemble since 1998.
Last year, former Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris ordered the inquiry, with the primary objective of scrutinising supposed security lapses that led a High Court judge to infer that the horrific event could have certainly been averted. This inquiry was set up in response to a court ruling that implored the government to establish some evaluative process.
In his 2021 decision, Mr Justice Horner directly urged the UK government to carry out a probe into claimed security inadequacies in the run-up to the horror. Although he had no legal authority to instruct the Irish government to act, the judge appealed to authorities to start their own independent examination based on his results. Earlier this month, the Irish Cabinet acceded to offer assistance for the inquiry.
As stated by Lord Turnbull, he is optimistic that the terms of reference will enable him to carry out a comprehensive and forceful examination.
Gallagher previously contested in court a former government’s resolution against a public inquiry into the Omagh bombing. “After a decade in court challenging the government’s decision, the judge took nearly a year to make a ruling before the Secretary of State ordered the inquiry,” Gallagher stated.
The Omagh bombing survivor claims privileged individuals may have shielded those accountable for the incident, a thought which still leaves him wondering. Their approval of a public inquest is something he acknowledges with significant gratitude, emphasising its utmost importance. He went on to label the event the most severe failure of security and intelligence ever encountered by the country, resulting in the loss of 31 lives and injuries to more than 250 individuals.
He stressed the need for a thorough examination of the circumstances leading up to the event and what occurred on the fateful day. He believes there were aspects executed competently and areas that required improvement. He argued that it’s our duty to gain insights from past errors to help guide future actions and to honour the victims.
Victims’ personal narratives and tributes are expected to be shared in the inquest meetings set to convene in January next year. Gallagher anticipates that these accounts will transform statistics into real-life experiences, shedding light on the pain endured by everyone ranging from elderly to unborn. He also highlighted the importance of understanding the events in Omagh.
It is expected to be an intensely emotional and challenging process for those choosing to openly discuss their experiences. He points out that after the devastating blast, privacy remained one of the few prized possessions for many. However, he believes it is time to give the statistics a face and demonstrate the wide-reaching impacts on individuals, their families, friends and wider networks.