Omagh 25: Northern Ireland's Bloodiest Bombing Threatens Hardwon Peace (1998) | The Troubles

On 15 August 1998, the town of Omagh in Northern Ireland's County Tyrone became the scene of an international tragedy when a car bomb exploded, killing 29 people and injuring 220 others. The bomb had been planted by the Real IRA, an Irish nationalist splinter group founded in opposition to the Provisional IRA's engagement with the Northern Ireland peace process. Intending to target Omagh Courthouse, the bomb's planters failed to find a parking space close to their target and subsequently failed to specify the location of the bomb when they warned the police of its existence 40 minutes before the explosion. The bomb consequently detonated in a designated safe area, resulting in the deadliest single incident of the Troubles.

Coming 13 weeks after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the attack was condemned by Irish nationalists and unionists alike. British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern were joined in their condemnation by Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, a historic first. Adams called for those responsible to reflect on their actions, identify themselves, and end their campaign of violence. The attack was intended to undo the progress toward peace reflected in the landmark Good Friday Agreement. In fact, the scale and senselessness of the bombing, which killed Republicans, Unionists, and international citizens alike, only served to strengthen the commitment to peace on all sides.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the Omagh bombing, ITN Archive presents the Channel 4 News special programme broadcast live from Omagh the day after the bombing. Featuring interviews with Tony Blair, Bertie Aherne, Gerry Adams, and Martin McGuiness, and reporting from Alex Thomson, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and Sheena McDonald, the programme captures the momentary fear that the attack could set back the peace process significantly, with some even discussing the reintroduction of internment.

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00:00 Introduction
02:06 Krishnan Guru-Murthy report
06:21 William Thompson MP (West Tyrone) interview
09:37 32 County Sovereignty Movement statement
09:58 Alex Thomson report
11:59 Mitchel McLaughlin (Sinn Fein) interview
15:38 Tony Blair statement
16:58 Peter Morgan report
17:14 John Prescott statement
17:29 Bertie Ahern statement
17:47 Gerry Adams statement
19:11 Sheena McDonald and Krishnan Guru-Murthy discussion
20:13 John Hume (SDLP) interview
22:47 Sheena McDonald sign-off

To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below:

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/footage...

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