Aftermath: The Omagh Bombing and the Families' Pursuit of Justice
The Omagh bomb was the worst massacre in Northern Ireland's modern history—yet from it came a most extraordinary tale of human resilience, as families of murdered people channeled their grief into action. As the bombers congratulated themselves on escaping justice, the families determined on a civil case against them and their organization. In Omagh, on Saturday, August 15, 1998, a massive bomb placed by the so-called Real IRA murdered five men, fourteen women, nine children, and a pair of...
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The Omagh bomb was the worst massacre in Northern Ireland's modern history—yet from it came a most extraordinary tale of human resilience, as families of murdered people channeled their grief into action. As the bombers congratulated themselves on escaping justice, the families determined on a civil case against them and their organization. In Omagh, on Saturday, August 15, 1998, a massive bomb placed by the so-called Real IRA murdered five men, fourteen women, nine children, and a pair of unborn twins. Although the police believed they knew the identities of the killers, there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. Taking as their motto "For evil to triumph, all that is necessary is for good men to do nothing," families of ten of the dead decided to pursue these men through the civil courts, where the burden of proof is lower. This is the remarkable account of how these families—who had no knowledge of the law and no money, and included a cleaner, a mechanic, and a bookie—became internationally recognized, formidable campaigners and surmounted countless daunting obstacles to win a famous victory. How these mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers turned themselves into the scourge of the Real IRA is not just an astonishing story in itself. It is also a universal story of David challenging Goliath, as well as an inspiration to ordinary people anywhere devastated by terrorism.
Part IPrologue 11 Victims 92 The Bomb 213 After the Bomb 434 Later 535 The Families 596 The Burial of the Dead 697 Investigating It 85Part II8 Surviving It 1019 The London Connection 12310 The Inquest 14711 Going to Law 16112 Taking the Fight to the Enemy 18113 Funding It 19314 Going to Court 22715 The Case 285Epilogue 321Acknowledgements 329Notes 331Chronology: Politics and Terror 333Chronology: Legal Proceedings 351Index 371
