Irish Republican Army veteran, Seamus Daly, was arrested on Monday in the town of Newry. The 43-year-old is now facing a total of 33 charges, including the 29 murders that happened in the car bomb attack in Omagh in 1998.

The Omagh Bombing is considered the worst terrorist crime in Northern Ireland. As a result of the attack, 29 people died and some 220 others were injured. Among those who were killed were children, women, and even an 8-month pregnant woman who was expecting twins.

Daly was also charged with the attempted bombing of Lisburn a few month before the bombing in Omagh. Experts were able to diffuse that bomb.

The police have always had their eye on Daly as a main suspect for the bombing. However, no one was ever prosecuted for the bombing over the past 16 years. An electrician was charged with the creation of the bomb, but forensic evidence was flawed and some of the testimonies by police officers were found to be misleading. There was an initial conviction for another man that supplied the phones to the bombers, but that fell through as well, since it was found that police had rewritten interrogation notes.

Daly has always denied having something to do with the Omagh Bombing, but he was ruled responsible in a landmark civil lawsuit that was brought forward by relatives of the victims. For that, the court ruled that Daly and three other men should pay over £1.5 million (about $2.5 million) for damages.

Daly also served three years in prison starting in 2004 after pleading guilty to a charge of IRA membership. The Real IRA (Irish Republican Army) is an organization founded in 1997 that aims to unite Ireland.

Daly’s arraignment is scheduled to take place on Friday in a court west of Belfast.

Who Bombed Omagh?

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