Preliminary hearing to be held for bomb inquiry

A PRELIMINARY hearing for the Omagh Bomb Inquiry will take place at the Strule Arts Centre next Tuesday (July 30).

Lord Turnbull, who is chair of the Inquiry, will oversee the hearing. He will be assisted by the Inquiry Legal team, including the senior counsel to the Inquiry, Paul Greaney, KC, and Solicitor to the Inquiry, Tim Suter.

The atrocity at Market Street in Omagh on August 15, 1998, was the worst single event of the Troubles, wth a total of 31 people, including unborn twins, being killed.

The Public Inquiry was announced last year by the then Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris.

The Preliminary Hearing will set the direction of the Inquiry, and allow the chair to consider procedural issues relating to the conduct of future public hearings and the Inquiry’s investigation.

It is expected that members of the bereaved families and others injured in or otherwise affected by the bombing and other members of the community.

There will be a public gallery in place in the hearing room for these attendees.

In addition, the hearing will be streamed live on the Omagh Bombing Inquiry YouTube channel with a three-minute delay. A transcript of the day’s proceedings will also be published on the Omagh Bombing Inquiry website.