Baroness O’Loan says Omagh report could have prevented bombing, cites police obstruction

The former police ombudsman told the Omagh Bombing Inquiry that lack of police cooperation hampered her investigation and that the report could have averted the 1998 attack.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 14 Oct 2026 19:00:40 GMT

Baroness Nuala O’Loan, Northern Ireland’s first police ombudsman, testified to the public inquiry into the 1998 Omagh car bombing that her 2001 report into the investigation was obstructed and that police withheld intelligence, arguing that the bombing might have been prevented.

What happened

The Omagh Bombing Inquiry, chaired by Lord Turnbull, is holding evidential hearings in Belfast. During the latest phase, which focuses on the period before and after the August 15, 1998 attack that killed 29 people, Baroness O’Loan described how her team struggled to obtain sensitive RUC intelligence about the Real IRA operation.

What the reports add

Standard.co.uk reported that Baroness O’Loan said former RUC chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan warned her that her report would “destroy the peace process”. The same outlet also quoted her describing the difficulty of getting information from the RUC as “pulling teeth”. Both pieces note that she was portrayed on television during the 2001 controversy as a “suicide bomber who had outlived my usefulness”.

What was said

Baroness O’Loan told the inquiry, as reported by Standard.co.uk, that her report contained a “very cogent argument” that authorities could have acted to stop the bomb. She added that the RUC’s refusal to share intelligence caused “astonishment” within her team. Sir Ronnie Flanagan is reported to have warned that the report would damage the peace process.

How it came about

The inquiry was established by the previous government to examine whether the Omagh bombing could have been prevented by UK authorities. Earlier Felo coverage (Omagh Bombing: Real IRA and Continuity IRA Cooperation) detailed the alleged cooperation between dissident groups and the ongoing investigation into the attack’s planning. A separate Felo article (Baroness O’Loan resisted political pressure to publish 2001 Omagh bomb report) described political attempts to block the 2001 ombudsman report, which aligns with the current testimony about obstruction.

Key facts

Baroness Nuala O’Loan testified that police withheld intelligence about the Omagh bombing (standard.co.uk)
She said her 2001 report argued authorities could have prevented the bombing (standard.co.uk)
Former RUC chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan warned the report would destroy the peace process (standard.co.uk)
The Omagh Bombing Inquiry is chaired by Lord Turnbull and is holding hearings in Belfast (standard.co.uk)