Dissident republican Colm Murphy was ‘spider at centre of web’, Omagh bombing inquiry hears

Dissident republican Colm Murphy “sat like a spider at the centre of the web of the plan to detonate a bomb in Omagh ”, the inquiry into the 1998 atrocity was told on Monday.

More than 10 “key individuals” were identified by the lead counsel to the inquiry, Paul Greaney, who outlined a “working hypothesis” that they played “significant” roles in the bombing.

These included Murphy, former Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt, and Seamus Daly and Liam Campbell – both convicted of Real IRA membership – who were all found liable for the bombing in a civil court, as well as Seamus McKenna, who was found not liable. Murphy, McKevitt and McKenna have since died.

“Our working hypothesis is that, contrary to that finding, he, Seamus McKenna, played a key role,” Greaney said.