Personal statements from those impacted by the Omagh bombing will be “invaluable” for the public inquiry into the atrocity, its chairman has claimed.
Lord Turnbull said he will read every statement submitted to him in the coming weeks by anyone affected by the Real IRA explosion in August 1998, that killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins, and left hundreds injured.
The submissions will form the basis of four weeks of commemorative and personal statement hearings to take place in January and February 2025.
The long-awaited inquiry begins in earnest in January, after it was officially opened by Lord Turnbull on July 30 at Omagh’s Strule Arts Centre.
The purpose of the long-awaited investigation is to establish if the dissident republican attack could reasonably have been prevented by UK authorities.
It was announced by the British government in 2023, and follows a High Court ruling in a judicial review brought by victims two years earlier that security forces had a “real prospect” of preventing the attack.
To date, no-one has been convicted over the bombing - which was the most deadly single incident of the Troubles - but four men were found liable in a civil case taken by victims’ families in 2009.
The Irish government has said it will provide assistance to the inquiry.
The director-general of the Republic’s Department of Foreign Affairs told the opening day of the inquiry the Irish government would put in place “additional new legislation, if that is what is required” to help the probe.
In an open letter to everyone impacted by the bombing, Lord Turnbull said their contribution in the form of personal statements will “inform the direction and approach” of the inquiry.
“This can include people who were injured, both physically and psychologically, those who responded in formal roles, local businesses or people who witnessed the events,” he said of those invited to submit a statement, adding: “All of your experiences are important.”
No-one is obliged to submit a statement, and those who do are not required to give oral evidence, nor do they require legal representation to contribute.
Help is also available - if required - from the inquiry team for those writing a personal statement.
Details on submitting a statement are available on the Omagh Bombing Inquiry website.
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“There will be no obligation to give evidence if you would prefer not to. But I will read every statement, and your experiences will help to inform the direction and approach of the Inquiry,” Lord Turnbull said.
“I fully understand what a difficult topic this is and the real risk this Inquiry bears in bringing back the trauma of what happened in Omagh in 1998. The Inquiry is also working with WAVE Trauma Centre to provide emotional or wellbeing support for those wishing to engage with the Inquiry.”
The chairman added: “There have been many investigations into the terrible events of 15 August 1998.
“My inquiry may be the final opportunity to get to the truth of whether the bombing could have been prevented by the UK state.
“The experiences of those most affected on the day will be invaluable in helping me do so.”
