Inquiry counsel seeks Irish Government answers on Bundoran phone call

The lead counsel for the Omagh Bombing Inquiry has said he is confident the Irish Government will respond to questions about an anonymous phone call made from a Bundoran bar on the night before the 1998 Omagh bombing.

During the resumed hearing in Omagh on Monday, Paul Greaney KC referred to earlier evidence that an anonymous call was placed to Finner Camp on 14 August 1998, mentioning “Omagh” three times. A Garda intelligence report concluded the call was not a prior warning, although it noted the repeated mention of Omagh.

The call has been traced to a bar in Bundoran, and four other calls were made from the same venue to Finner Camp earlier that night, though their relevance remains unclear. The caller, described as a male who “sounded reasonable, not drunk,” was recorded saying: “Pay attention to the back roads around Kinlough… Omagh, Omagh, Omagh.”

Greaney said the inquiry’s legal team has sent written questions to the Government of Ireland seeking clarity on the apparent tension between Garda conclusions, whether any information was passed to UK authorities, and the timing of any such disclosure.

A handwritten note from the period indicated that local Gardaí had attached no significance to the call, yet also suggested the repeated Omagh reference implied the caller knew the town was a target. Greaney expressed confidence that the Government will now address these issues.

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: Selim Karadayı / Pexels.