The UK's Omagh Bombing Inquiry and the Government of Ireland published a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) relating to the sharing of information today, Tuesday, April 15.
The 15-page MoU - which can be read here - will allow Lord Alan Turnbull, the chairman of the Inquiry, and members of his team access to material held by the Government of Ireland.
The MoU outlines the arrangements for the provision of information and materials from the Government of Ireland and its agencies to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry.
A central point of contact will be established in Ireland's Department of Justice to handle all requests for information.
The MoU also outlines the process of disclosure of Irish State materials to the Inquiry’s Core Participants.
Noted in the MoU is a Restriction Order, signed by the Chairman on Tuesday, which will legally require the Inquiry and, if applicable, Core Participants to "hold all Irish State Materials disclosed in confidence until such time, if at all, that the material is adduced in evidence."
The Inquiry said on Tuesday that it will continue to discuss further cooperation with the Government of Ireland, such as taking evidence from witnesses from the Republic of Ireland.
The OBI and Government of Ireland have published a written agreement on how the Government will co-operate with the Inquiry. You can read more here https://t.co/dlUrfWNEDX
— Omagh Bombing Inquiry (@OmaghBombingInq) April 15, 2025
The MoU was signed on Tuesday by Ireland's Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan after it was authorized by the Irish Government.
The agreement, Ireland's Department of Justice notes, reflects the Irish Government’s decision in July 2024 to assist the Inquiry to the extent that is permissible under the Constitution and laws of the State.
The latest Programme for Government reiterates that commitment, stating that the Irish Government will “play our full part in legacy processes… including facilitating and supporting the Omagh Inquiry.”
Minister O’Callaghan said on Tuesday: “The signing of this agreement with the Chairman of the Inquiry is an important step forward in delivering on the Government’s commitment to facilitating and supporting the work of the Inquiry. That is in the best interests of the victims’ families and survivors.
“I want to acknowledge and thank the Inquiry for their commitment to finding a means of navigating the legal complexities in the relationship between Ireland, as a sovereign state, and an inquiry established under the laws of another sovereign state.
“The agreement provides transparency in relation to how the Government will fulfil its commitment and provides a clear framework to guide Departments and their agencies who may hold materials potentially relevant to the work of the Inquiry.
“My Department is already managing requests for materials from the Inquiry and engaging with relevant agencies, including An Garda Síochána.
“The need for any further action to be taken by the Government in the course of, or following the conclusion of the Inquiry, will be kept under review.”
Ireland's Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris TD, said: “Addressing the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland is fundamental to securing peace and reconciliation on the island of Ireland.
"In the Programme for Government, we commit to play our full part in legacy processes - the signature today of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Omagh Bombing Inquiry is a key step in delivering on that commitment. The Government will continue to support the work of the Inquiry to ensure that victims are afforded the truth and justice that they deserve.”
Memorandum of Understanding on matters relating to the disclosure of materials to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry has been signed.
Read more: https://t.co/flXFckjl1H@OCallaghanJim pic.twitter.com/CNDlZYQims
— Department of Justice (@DeptJusticeIRL) April 15, 2025
Also commenting, Secretary to the Inquiry Sam Hartley said: “This formal agreement between the Inquiry and the Government of Ireland marks a significant step forward in allowing the Inquiry access to material, information and assistance from the Government and agencies in Ireland.
"Agreements of this nature are not commonplace in Inquiries. On behalf of the Inquiry, I express my gratitude to the Government of Ireland for its repeated commitment to assist the Inquiry."
The Omagh bombing
On the afternoon of August 15, 1998, just a few months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, a car bomb was detonated in the town of Omagh in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
21 people were killed in the explosion, another eight people died in the hospital, and 220 others were injured, making it the single deadliest incident of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The attack was carried out by the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA), a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) splinter group that opposed the IRA's ceasefire and the Good Friday Agreement, signed earlier in the year.
In 2009, a landmark civil trial found Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy, and Seamus Daly liable for the bombing. Seamus McKenna, a fifth man in the trial, was cleared of liability.
The four men were ordered to pay £1.6 million ($2.2 million) to the 12 relatives of the victims who took the case to court.
No one has been held criminally liable for the Omagh bombing.
The Omagh Bombing Inquiry
In February 2023, the British Government announced that the Omagh Bombing Inquiry would be launched following a court ruling that directed the government to establish a human rights-compliant investigation into the attack.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died in the atrocity, launched the legal challenge that resulted in the court ruling.
In July 2023, Lord Alan Turnbull was appointed as chair of the Inquiry. The Inquiry began formally in February 2024, when its Terms of Reference was issued.
The Irish Government decided on July 9, 2024, to assist the Inquiry, and signaled that intention at the preliminary hearing of the Inquiry on July 30, 2024.
The Inquiry's commemorative and personal statement hearings began in Omagh in January.
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