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© Copyright, Omagh Bombing Inquiry 2025.

Operationally Sensitive Material Hearings to Take Place in Belfast on 12 November

Published:

The Omagh Bombing Inquiry will hold procedural hearings next week regarding the use of Operationally Sensitive Material in the Inquiry.

The Hearing will take place on Wednesday 12 November 2025 at the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry Hearing Centre in the Corn Exchange Building, 31 Gordon Street, Belfast. If needed, the hearing will continue on Thursday, 13 November.

Proceedings will begin at 10.00am each day and conclude at approximately 4.00pm. 

More information on attending hearings at Corn Exchange Building is available in the Hearing Attendance Guide.

In addition to the Hearing Room in Corn Exchange, a remote viewing space is available for anyone who wishes to watch the hearings from Omagh, subject to restrictions.

The proceedings of the hearings will also be broadcast to a public viewing space in the Station Centre, 17 James St, Omagh BT78 1QX. This facility is open to anyone who wishes to attend and you do not need to register in advance. More information on the Omagh viewing space is available on the Inquiry’s website here.

This hearing will focus on three issues:  

  1. A procedural update on the work of the Inquiry  
  2. An update on Chapter Three (The Bombing of Omagh) hearings scheduled for March 2026 
  3. The Inquiry’s approach to Operationally Sensitive Material. Further details on Operationally Sensitive Material is available below.    

The hearings will be streamed via the Inquiry’s YouTube Channel (on a ten minute delay) for those who wish to watch the proceedings online and updates will be shared on the Inquiry’s X feed.

Transcripts and further details on the hearing will be available on the Hearing Section of the Inquiry’s website. 

Background to Operationally Sensitive Material

The Inquiry holds material on its disclosure database, that is Operationally Sensitive (OS material).  This OS material is relevant to its Terms of Reference, and, in principle, it therefore falls to be disclosed to all Core Participants. Due to the information contained within OS material may not be capable of being published without causing a risk of harm. 

In broad terms, OS material contains information which, if published, would on its own, or in combination with other material be capable of assisting those who would wish to carry out future terrorist attacks or other criminal activity. 

On the 1st of September the Legal team to the Inquiry published an update which outlined the approach that the Inquiry intends to take to manage Operationally Sensitive Material while also maximising disclosure to Core Participants.  

Notes to editor

  • The terms of reference to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry are available on the Inquiry’s website.
  • A restriction order made under section 19 of the Inquiries Act 2005 remains in force throughout the hearings. The order is available on the Inquiry’s website.
  • The list of the Core Participants is available on the Inquiry’s website.