Families of many of the 29 people who died in the Omagh bombing in 1998 gathered in the town this afternoon for a prayer service to mark the 25th anniversary of the attack.
The bombing by dissident republican group the Real IRA was the largest single atrocity of the Troubles.
It killed 29 people, including a woman seven months pregnant with twins, and hundreds more were injured.
The victims included a Spanish child on a school exchange trip and three young boys from Buncrana, Co Donegal.
No one has ever been convicted in connection with the attack.
Relatives of many of the 29 people killed in the Omagh bombing by the dissident republican group the Real IRA in August 1998 are gathering in the Co Tyrone town for a service to mark the 25th anniversary of the single worst atrocity of Northern Ireland's Troubles @rtenews pic.twitter.com/Z9mGma1ICt
— Vincent Kearney (@vincekearney) August 13, 2023
The explosion happened just four months after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, and was heralded as signalling the end of the Troubles.
The service today took place in a memorial garden just 200 metres from the scene of the explosion.
The garden features 31 poles with a mirror at the top of each in memory of all the lives lost that day.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan, 21, was among those killed in the blast, described the crowds at the service as a "powerful testimony to community spirit and cohesion 25 years after our small town was ripped apart".
There were hymns sung and readings, as well as the Lord's Prayer read out in three languages, Irish, Spanish and English, in respect of the nationalities of those killed, including children from Co Donegal and victims from Spain.
The names of all the victims were also read out.
At the end of the service, flowers were laid at a memorial stone bearing the names of the 29 victims.
A glass obelisk stands at the site of the bomb.
The actual anniversary of the bombing is on Tuesday 15 August, but the event is held on the closest Sunday to the date.
This is the first service since 2018, as wreaths were laid during the Covid pandemic.
The Irish Government was represented by Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence Peter Burke.
"It's very important that we, as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, acknowledge and stand here with the families who lost so many loved ones in this atrocity, and it's very hard to believe it was only a few months on from referenda which happened on this island endorsing the Good Friday Agreement," he said.
"It's very important for us all to understand that peace needs advocates, we need so many people across all strands of our communities never to take peace for granted."
The British government was represented by Jonathan Caine, a minister at the Northern Ireland Office.
Mr Caine said it is important on reflect on an "absolutely appalling hideous" attack on an entire community.
"I think it's right that we do come together to mark the 25th anniversary today," he said.
"It does highlight the evil of terrorism and the devastation it can bring to communities but occasions like today can also highlight the fact that in Northern Ireland a future will only ever be decided by democracy and consent."
Relatives of those killed say they hope an independent statutory inquiry established by the British government will finally provide answers about who knew what and when about the attack, and whether more could have been done to prevent it or catch those responsible.
The inquiry chairman, Alan Turnbull, met many of the relatives during a visit to the Co Tyrone town last week and the first hearings could potentially be held later this year.
Mr Caine said the British Government is working on the terms of reference for the Omagh Inquiry, and hope to get it up and running "as quickly as possible".
In terms of the Omagh Inquiry, Mr Burke said the Irish Government will respond to the UK when it has seen the final terms of reference.
"We're waiting to see what is in the terms of reference," he said.
"Obviously what we can do, we will assist, but we have to ensure there is merit in what we are doing and see that we can help victims and help families.
"There needs to be an achievable outcome, and with the passage of time it does prove very difficult, but we are very much at the forefront. Our Tánaiste (Micheál Martin) and Minister for Justice (Helen McEntee) met with the families seeing what more we can do."
Those attending today were told that by doing so they were making a stand against violence and injustice.
The 29 people who died in Omagh on 15 August 1998:
James Barker, 12, Buncrana, Co Donegal. Originally from Surrey, England.
Fernando Blasco Baselga, 12, Madrid, Spain.
Geraldine Breslin, 43, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Deborah-Ann Cartwright, 20, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Gareth Conway, 18, Carrickmore, Co Tyrone.
Breda Devine, 20 months, Donemana, Co Tyrone.
Oran Doherty, eight, Buncrana, Co Donegal.
Aiden Gallagher, 21, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Esther Gibson, 36, Beragh, Co Tyrone.
Mary Grimes, 65, Beragh, Co Tyrone.
Olive Hawkes, 60, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Julia Hughes, 21, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Brenda Logue, 17, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Ann McCombe, 45, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Brian McCrory, 54, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Samantha McFarland, 17, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Sean McGrath, 61, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Sean McLaughlin, 12, Buncrana, Co Donegal.
Jolene Marlow, 17, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Avril Monaghan, 30, Augher, Co Tyrone (who was pregnant with twins).
Maura Monaghan, 18 months, Augher, Co Tyrone.
Alan Radford, 16, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Rocio Abad Ramos, 23, Madrid, Spain.
Elizabeth Rush, 57, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Veda Short, 46, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Philomena Skelton, 39, Drumquin, Co Tyrone.
Fred White, 60, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Bryan White, 27, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Lorraine Wilson, 15, Omagh, Co Tyrone.
