February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
DUBLIN — A native of County Armagh has appeared in the Special Criminal Court on charges linked to the Omagh car-bombing last year which killed 29 and injured almost 400.
Colm Murphy, 48, with an address at Jordans Corner, Ravensdale, Dundalk, Co. Louth, was charged with membership of an illegal organization and conspiracy to cause explosions.
Amidst tight security, he made a brief appearance in the three-judge and no jury court and was remanded in custody to 18 March.
It is the first time charges have been brought on either side of the border for the car-bombing of the market town on 15 August. The bombing was claimed by the so-called Real IRA group which calls itself Oglaigh na hEireann in its statements. It has been observing a truce since the attack.
Murphy, who was arrested at home last Sunday, is the first person to face charges directly related to the attack. So far about 60 people have been arrested and questioned on both sides of the border.
There was no mention of Omagh in court but a statement by Gardai the night before his appearance had said a man was appearing in the court on a number of charges as part of the ongoing investigation of the bombing.
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Murphy was charged that between 13 and 16 August last year he unlawfully and maliciously conspired in Dundalk, with a person not before the court, to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the State or elsewhere.
He was also charged with membership of an unlawful organization styling itself Oglaigh na hEireann/the IRA on 14 August.
The court was told that when he was arrested and cautioned on the charges he replied “Nothing to say.”
The court appearance followed a series of coordinated arrests by police investigation teams in the Republic and Northern Ireland.