Twenty-nine people, including a woman pregnant with twins, were murdered and hundreds more injured in the Omagh bombing on 15 August 1998.
The Real IRA attack in the Co Tyrone town was the largest single atrocity of the Troubles.
No one has ever been convicted in connection with the incident, which happened just months after the Good Friday Agreement was signed.
The British government is holding a public inquiry to examine if the bombing could have been prevented.
As part of the process, families delivered "pen portraits" to the inquiry.
Relatives and friends of victims told the inquiry, in their own words, about their loved one's life and their memories.
James Barker, 12
James Barker was 12 when he was killed in the Omagh bombing.
His father told the inquiry James, one of three schoolboys from Buncrana who were killed in the explosion, was robbed of a "life full of possibilities".
Victor Barker said his family had moved to Co Donegal to be close to James's maternal grandparents.
He said James had taken the place of his sister on a trip to Omagh with Spanish exchange students on the day of the explosion as she had not been feeling well.
Mr Barker said his daughter bore the guilt of that decision to this day.
He recalled being told on the evening of the attack that there had been a "dreadful accident" in Omagh, but he was not aware of a bomb.
That evening, the inquiry heard, Mr Barker and his wife travelled to Omagh to find their son, where at the town's leisure centre they were asked if James had any identifying marks on his body.
He said they were then transported to a temporary mortuary, adding he was then asked to identify the body of his son.
"I cannot begin to describe what those hours were like ... the next few hours were simply hell," he said.
He said: "We then had to break the news to our daughter, who was naturally distraught.
"I do not believe she has ever recovered from the feelings of guilt that she should have been in Omagh, and not her brother James.
"The raw emotion of the feeling of helplessness remains as real now as it was then."
Mr Barker said his son's life was "taken away from him in the most evil and barbaric fashion", adding "he was robbed of his bright and happy future".
"We should all remember that pain has no nationality and no borders, but neither does the love of the human heart," he added.
Julia Hughes, 21
Julia Hughes was studying for a degree in accountancy at Dundee University in Scotland and was home working in a shop during the summer holidays when she was killed, a year before she was due to graduate.
Her twin brother described her loss as insurmountable.
In a statement read to the inquiry by a solicitor for the inquiry, Justin Hughes said his sister and he had been born just four minutes apart and had "an unbreakable bond".
"She was my twin and now I am her voice," it said.
"Julia's loss was insurmountable for our family," the statement said.
"It shattered our very being, both as a family and individually. Life was never the same again.
"The loss was too much for our beloved grandma and she passed away shortly after Julia's death with what could only be considered as a broken heart."
It added: "We never got to share with her so many precious milestones in life, like her graduating, getting married and having children. The what ifs will always be there. After 26 years it gets no easier."
The inquiry was told that Dundee University presented her family with Julia's accountancy degree the year after she was killed and dedicated an annual prize in memory of her to a student who has overcome difficulties and adversity and gone on to excel in their field of study.
Her twin brother Justin awarded the prize to the winner in 2023.
Lorraine Wilson, 15
Lorraine Wilson, 15, had been working in the town's Oxfam shop and she died alongside her friend and colleague Samantha McFarland.
Her mother Anne, brother Colin and sister Denise were in the inquiry room as the statement was read by the family's solicitor Beth McMullan.
They described how her young life was "so cruelly taken" on the day of the attack.
In the statement, the family said it had spent hours praying and hoping that she was alive after not being able to find her in the town, the hospital or a leisure centre where the dead and injured were being taken.
"We watched as other families were told of the death of their loved ones and were being taken to the morgue to identify their loved ones," the statement said.
"I remember dad saying surely there has to be some light at the end of the tunnel? He was holding onto the hope that he would see his daughter again."
However, a short time later the family was told they were being taken to the morgue to identify Lorraine's body.
The statement recounted how the teenager's mother Anne could not cope and left the room screaming while other family members "held Lorraine's hand, hugged her, touched her hair, told her how much we loved her".
"There was a little pool of blood in Lorraine's eye and I remember dad asking for a tissue to collect the little pool of blood and he said 'this is all I have of you now'".
The statement revealed that Lorraine had been buried in her mother's wedding dress.
Philomena Skelton, 39
Mother-of-four Philomena Skelton, 39, died in the attack while on a shopping trip with her husband and three daughters.
Her husband Kevin Skelton told the inquiry that he and his wife were like "chalk and cheese".
He refereed GAA games while his wife liked to stay at home knitting and reading.
Mr Skelton said he could not even boil an egg and his wife, who he described as a "homebird", did everything for him.
He said his wife had welcomed a Romanian orphan into their home in 1997, an act he described as "pure kindness".
Mr Skelton told the inquiry that he had brought his wife Philomena and their three daughters into Omagh to shop for items for school on the Saturday the bomb exploded.
Mr Skelton said they were inside a shop when they were alerted to a bomb scare by a traffic warden.
He said: "One of my daughters said as we crossed into SD Kells, 'I wonder is the bomb in that car?'
"But nobody thought, I never thought there was a bomb.
"We walked past the car into SD Kells."
He told the inquiry he had become "fed up" with shopping for shoes so left his wife and daughter Shauna in SD Kells while he went into a separate shop.
He said as he was about to leave this shop, the bomb exploded.
Mr Skelton said: "The front of the shop was sucked out and I walked out after it."
He added: "I walked out and went in through where the window was in SD Kells and I found her (Philomena) lying face down in the rubble."
Mr Skelton said he felt for his wife's pulse but could not find it.
He told the inquiry he began to dig as he believed his daughter Shauna was buried in the rubble.
Mr Skelton said: "My whole focus turned to looking for my daughter cause I thought my daughter was buried underneath her mammy.
"When you start digging, some of the things I witnessed, that no human being should have to live with.
"I was there in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was just horrendous.
He told the inquiry he identified his wife at a British army camp the next day.
Veda Short, 56
Veda Short, 56, was one of three staff members of Watterson's drapers killed when they were evacuated into Market Street on the day the bomb exploded.
The inquiry heard she was a "loving wife, mother and grandmother" who was very family-orientated and active within her church.
A statement from her four children, Alison Crozier, Frances Henry, Ian Short and Elaine Magowan, was read to the inquiry by solicitor Conor Cullen.
In it, Mrs Short was described as "very family-orientated".
The statement said: "Mum never had a bad word to say about anyone.
"Mum was just getting over the death of her own mother from the previous October.
"She and Dad had just returned home from a holiday in Alicante.
"They had so much to look forward to.
"She had eight grandchildren whom she loved and adored."
It added: "The day before the bomb, Elaine had given birth to her fourth child in Dundonald Hospital.
"Mum was taken up to Belfast that night to see her new grandson. She had taken photographs of Lee and got to hold him.
"She was the centre of our family and had a very loving and caring nature.
"Our world was shattered on Saturday, 15th August 1998."
The four siblings said their "whole lives changed" the day their mother was murdered.
Their statement said: "A loving mother was taken away from us in such a brutal manner.
"We never got the chance to say goodbye or see her grow old, or take care of her as she had done for us.
"Our dad was a broken man from that day on. His whole world had just collapsed and he had nothing left to live for.
"We lost both our parents that awful day. Our dad became depressed and with ill-health he passed away in June 2004, aged just 64.
"Another casualty of the Omagh bomb."
The statement said Mrs Short had missed out on the birth of three grandchildren, missed the weddings of eight grandchildren and birth of eight great-grandchildren, and also missed her son Ian's wedding.
"There is not a day goes by that we do not think of Mum," it said.
Elizabeth 'Libbi' Rush, 57
The inquiry head Elizabeth 'Libbi' Rush, 57, was her husband Laurence's "soulmate" and they first met at a dance when they were both 14 years old.
Laurence Rush was an active campaigner in calling for a public inquiry but died in 2012 at the age of 70.
Their daughter Siobhán Rush said her mother worked at a shop on Market Street in Omagh, and was known for her "discretion and gentle nature".
"She was respectful to others, wise, compassionate and thoughtful. More than anything else, Libbi loved her family with every bone in her body," she said in a statement on behalf of herself and her brothers, Andrew and Anthony.
After her mother's death, she told the inquiry her father sought answers on why his wife had been killed but was "met with a wall of silence".
She said that "even friends and extended family avoided the subject", but that her father was "undeterred".
"We understand that this culture of silence is a method of coping, but also the external role of silence is a form of paramilitary and state control of our communities.
"Our father Laurence Rush was unable to stay silent, because he knew that silence was a lie."
She said that her father "demanded accountability and transparency" and "relentlessly confronted all" out of love for his wife Libbi.
Samantha McFarland, 17
Samantha McFarland, 17, from Omagh, was described as "popular, diligent and a person who passed with flying colours the test of life".
Paul Greaney KC said she was the youngest of three children and was to be the bridesmaid at her older brother's wedding.
The inquiry heard she was "a wonderful young girl who had a kind heart and a genuine kindness that people were drawn to".
She was studying for her A-level exams, loved music, books and geography, and had "a curiosity about other parts of the world".
She had been volunteering in the Oxfam shop with her best friend Lorraine Wilson, where she worked one day a week over the summer, and also sometimes volunteered at the town's Barnardo's charity shop.
When the girls were evacuated from the shop on 15 August 1998, the inquiry heard that Samantha did not want to go too far because she had the keys to the shop.
At her funeral, she was described as "popular, diligent, and a person who passed with flying colours the test of life".
"She was a very private person, but also a very sociable person who touched the lives of so many others. So many people attended Samantha's funeral that mourners had to stand outside."
Sean McGrath, 61
Sean McGrath, 61, was a businessman and sustained serious injuries in the attack.
He died in hospital almost three weeks after the explosion.
His daughter Noeleen said her father was "considerate, gentle, kind to a fault".
She described him as "slow to anger". The only thing that made him cross was injustice, she said.
His sons Conor and Gavin also provided statements.
Conor said the family continued to feel the loss of a good man.
"Every anniversary picks at the scar. Maybe not as raw, but still not healed and I doubt that it ever will."
Mr McGrath only got to know one of his grandchildren, Sara.
The inquiry was shown a family video of him playing with the little girl.
Gavin McGrath said the family still struggled to contemplate the "horrendous day" of the bombing and had tried not to face it.
"If we don't open the wound, we can't feel the pain. It's not what is recommended by experts but it's literally the only way we can all deal with it.
"My father was a wonderful man and deserved to live his life to the full and for it to end naturally, just as all humans have the right to expect.
"I love my dad and I miss him every day," the statement concluded.
Brian McCrory, 54
Brian McCrory, 54, was a former fireman and father-of-three.
He was remembered as a "loving husband", "amazing" and "gentle giant".
In a statement read out on behalf of his daughter Louise, the inquiry heard that Mr McCrory was a "good, decent and hardworking" man.
"He had a strong faith and was dedicated to his family. He had a kindness and a gentle spirit that anyone who knew him experienced, and a beautiful, warm, open smile that made you feel comfortable and safe.
"We are so very lucky to have had the chance to share our lives with someone so very special and we should have been given much longer to experience and share our lives with this unassuming, good-natured, quiet and much-loved man."
Louise McCrory said no words could ever begin to portray the loss and hurt as well as the "fear and panic from that day that never really leaves".
She said her mother had lost her "one-in-a-million husband", "best friend and confidant".
"He was beyond patient and kind. I do not recall him ever raising his voice to us in his life.
"We were more than blessed to have him. He was the best father a son or daughter could ever have had," she added.
Mr McCrory's daughter explained how she and her siblings missed out on a growing relationship with their father into adulthood, adding that he never got to meet their partners.
She recalled how they each visited his graveside on their wedding days.
She said it was "heartbreaking" that he never had the chance to enjoy life with his own grandchildren.
Ms McCrory's statement said her father was a hard worker that, after a short stint in the fire service, spent the rest of his life in the family business.
There, he drove his "beloved Crafty Catherine" - a crane that he joked he spent more time fixing than driving.
"As children, we often enjoyed Saturday mornings tucked in the cab of Catherine or playing in the mills whilst he worked."
The inquiry heard Mr McCrory "loved taking photographs" and was regularly designated as the photographer at a range of family events.
He was in Omagh on the morning of the bombing to get photographs developed at the chemist while collecting a prescription.
"He liked to live a quiet life, but equally he loved spending time with his extended family and friends."
The statement added: "We experience life much differently with not having dad in it.
"We have missed out on so many things post the 15th of August, 1998.
"As a family, instead, our family events are overshadowed by an immeasurable loss and always a constant awareness of our missing husband, father and friend - our gentle giant."
Jolene Marlow, 17
Jolene Marlow, 17, was denied the chance to "accomplish her life's full potential".
In a statement read out on behalf of Jolene's mother Bridie, the inquiry was told of her strong academic abilities.
"Right from the start, Jolene was a special child. She had reached all of her normal childhood milestones much earlier than expected, such as walking at only 10 months old, talking and reciting nursery rhymes."
She went through her schooling a year younger than most of the other pupils in her class.
"Jolene's early attendance at secondary school never stopped her from achieving success in both her studies and her sporting activities.
"She excelled in playing ladies' Gaelic football and camogie where she represented both her school and parish teams at the same time.
"In fact, on August 8 1998 - just one week before the Omagh bomb - Jolene was a key player in the winning team for St Macartan's, who won their first-ever county final.
"Jolene's future was so bright, with her desire to become a sports physiotherapist.
"She had a zest for life and to do well. She was always able to conquer as many challenges as she could."
Jolene was the eldest of her sister and three brothers.
Before her death, she had just begun driving lessons, was a "very popular member of staff" in her summer job, and an "exemplary student".
Her mother's statement said: "I can remember feeling so emotional on the evening of her leaving mass, I couldn't help but think our eldest child was now ready to start the next chapter in her education and life, only now she would be doing it in Belfast.
"We always secretly dreaded the thought of Jolene being in Belfast in case the Troubles would flare up.
"Little did we know then that our home town of Omagh, where Jolene had attended school, had a part-time job, was learning to drive, socialised and shopped, would be the actual place where she would be denied all of her hopes and dreams, of her bright future.
"Jolene was a loving daughter, a caring sister to her four siblings, a role model for her schools, a great team player for her sports teams, a responsible employee, a special friend to her then boyfriend of ten months, a much-loved granddaughter, niece, cousin and a friend to all who knew her.
"Whilst Jolene achieved so much in her short life, she was denied the chance to accomplish her life's full potential."
Brenda Logue, 17
Brenda Logue, a talented Gaelic footballer, was 17 when she died in the 1998 atrocity.
The Omagh Bombing Inquiry was told that her mother Mary Logue had been diagnosed with cancer eight last year and died on 10 November.
In the months leading up to her death, she told her sons what she would like to include in her commemorative statement that she would be unable to deliver in person to the inquiry.
Her oldest son Cathal, accompanied by his brother Carl, read out her statement.
The statement from Mary Logue said: "On August 15 1998, like any normal Saturday, we took my mother into the town - myself and Brenda.
"Any other day, Carl, her little brother, would have come with us, but she had got him a job with the local ice cream man, and that was his first day. He was delighted. She was always looking out for him.
"Brenda had walked out of the shop to see what was happening, and I know for a fact if Carl had been there, he would have walked with her, and we would have lost him too.
"The last thing I remember of Brenda was her ponytail swishing as she walked out the door. The blast would throw me back into a wall, and I would be knocked unconscious, or so I was told.
"When I came around, I knew in my heart she was gone, but I got up, went out to look for her. It was like a scene from a disaster movie. I won't go into detail, but the things I saw that day are the things that haunt my dreams, the sounds, the screams.
"The bomb was Saturday. It would be five days before her body was brought home, and she was buried on Friday."
Mary Logue's statement also describes how she was "blessed" to have a mother-daughter bond with Brenda.
She said that the family had a difficult time after the breakdown of her marriage and would rely on "hand-me-downs".
"At her First Holy Communion, she wore her cousin's dress. It was perfect, and she was just beautiful in it. Little did I know it would be the closest thing I would have to her in a wedding dress."
The family had settled in Loughmacrory, where Brenda "would go on to make lifelong friends" who still keep in contact with her relatives.
Brenda was remembered as a sweet-natured girl who naturally took charge: "She never went with the crowd, always a shepherd, never the sheep."
The statement added: "She loved the craic, being surrounded by people, being at something. She was a leader in the local youth club, leaving a lasting impression on young children and leaders alike."
The inquiry also heard that Brenda successfully fought for the right for girls at Dean Maguirc Secondary School to wear trousers, arguing that it was unfair that they should be cold in skirts.
The inquiry was also told of Brenda's "love of football", which stemmed from her brothers.
Brenda's height, strength and fearless attitude made her a "natural goalkeeper", the inquiry heard.
She would represent her club at many age levels and go on to be selected for the Tyrone minor and senior panels.
"She had great potential, as I was told by many, and I often wonder just how far she would have went.
"Tyrone ladies would go on to win the All-Ireland in 2018, having been defeated the year before.
"Would she have been part of that set-up? Would she have walked the Hogan Stand steps to lift the All-Ireland trophy?"
The Tyrone County Board has also named the Junior Championship Cup after Brenda, which has been presented by the family since.
The year after Brenda died, it was won by Loughmacrory Ladies.
"I proudly presented it to one of Brenda's teammates. A bittersweet moment that will live with me forever."
In addition, Brenda's niece and namesake Brenda Marie Logue won a tournament dedicated to her memory at Loughmacrory GAA.
However, Mary Logue was not well enough to see the team take the cup to Brenda's graveside because of her chemotherapy treatment.
Reading his mother's statement, Cathal Logue said she had been "robbed of so many things", including "seeing her grow up and become a woman".
"I've missed the chance to see her meet that special someone, fall in love, see her walk down an aisle, go wedding dress shopping with my only daughter, see her have children - become a maternal grandmother.
"My sons have lived their lives trying to cope with the murder of their sister, of their mother who was trying to come to terms with the loss.
"It caused irreversible emotional damages to each of them and to me."
Mary Logue, who had relayed her words to her sons while being treated for cancer, said Brenda "would know what to do, what to say, how to comfort my boys".
"She could be their mother figure when I go."
Brenda's mother also questioned if her cancer would have been discovered earlier, or if she would have been in as poor health if her daughter had not been killed.
"They say stress feeds cancer. Is this the cause of years of stress, having had to bury my child and her at such a young age because of an event completely out of my control."
She added: "I was haunted by nightmares for years after. That, along with panic attacks, it would cripple me.
"I was prescribed sleeping tablets, but that did not stop the nightmares. From that fateful day, I have never been able to set foot in the middle of Omagh town."
She added: "We tried to make it through the motions of the shock, the sheer darkness of depression, the rage and anger, the consistent grief.
"It would come in waves. Some days you could keep your head above water, other days you were drowning.
"Each of my boys fell apart in different ways, struggling to cope, and I was no help, because I was falling apart myself."
Mary Logue said the family's "world fell apart" following the Omagh bombing, adding: "Losing a child is every parent's worst nightmare, and I have lived that nightmare every day for the last 26 years."
Olive Hawkes, 60
The family of Olive Hawkes was "torn apart" after the Omagh bomb when the much-loved mother and wife was killed while doing her regular Saturday shopping.
Ms Hawkes, a 60-year-old mother-of-two, was remembered at the Omagh Bombing Inquiry by her son and daughter, Mark Hawkes and Mandy Walker.
The inquiry heard that Olive had been due to celebrate her ruby wedding anniversary with her husband, Percy, just days after the bombing.
Counsel for the family, Beth McMullan, read out a pre-written statement from the family.
"Mum was very much the boss of the home, and dad was very content with this position, and in so many ways, they were really a perfect partnership.
"As children, we wanted for nothing, and have wonderful memories of having loving, attentive parents, and there was always laughter in our home.
"She was also a great baker and loved gardening. In essence, she was the glue that made the family so close, and we were truly spoiled having her as our mum."
The family said they could identify their mother only by the shoes she wore the day she was killed.
"Mummy's identity eventually had to be confirmed by her fingerprints, and this harsh reality made our pain even more unbearable.
"When mummy was brought home, daddy thought about opening the coffin, as he was so distraught, and we all questioned for some time whether or not we had really laid our mummy's body to rest.
"We finally received some peace at the inquest when we met the young police officer who assured us that he had cared for our mummy following the bomb and that she had been given some dignity."
Fred White, 65
Fred White's Edith White described how years after the blast she would drive around looking for her husband and son Byran believing they were still alive.
Both father and son were killed in the bombing
Mrs White said she has little memory of the hours and days after discovering Fred, 65, and son Bryan, 27, had been killed.
"For a number of years after the bomb, I would still go in the car to look for them, thinking that they must be somewhere. Whenever I saw a black Ford car, I would have looked to see if it's the number plate of Fred's car," she said.
"I'd left their personal belongings, like toothbrushes, diaries, etc, untouched for many years after the bomb. I regularly would have changed the sheets on Bryan's bed, but they never came home, and the silence is still there.
"But I must say, as time gets on, it gets harder to think it hasn't happened. Sometimes the anger builds up and I have to cry to myself, but then I try to distract myself by doing something else," she told the inquiry.
Mrs White said the years following the bomb, the media reports about public fall-outs and the government's response to the incident has added to the pain.
"All the families want to know what happened to their loved ones, but I do feel that how the government has treated us has resulted in a lot of unnecessary disagreements amongst the families," she added.
"I hope this inquiry will help to unite the families as we all share the same pain and suffering when all our loved ones were murdered."
A photograph of the pair which was taken the day before the blast shows Fred and Bryan on the last day of their holiday.
In a pre-recorded statement, the couple's daughter Linda said that her mental and physical health has been impacted by the loss of her father and brother.
She said she has done things differently in life as a result of the atrocity.
"I think the bomb has forced me to relive a lot of trauma and pain and loss from my past."
Bryan White, 27
Bryan White, 27, was shopping in Omagh with his father Fred when the bomb exploded.
His mother Edith said she would regularly change Bryan's bed sheets, but that he never came home.
The Omagh Bombing Inquiry was told that the family had just returned home from a holiday when Fred and Bryan went into town.
Mrs White said that not long after they left, she heard a bang.
Mrs White added: "In the years after the bomb, I just couldn't accept that they were gone. I don't understand why they had to be murdered.
"I've never been to counselling because I don't see what use it would be if they did not know Fred or Bryan, but I'm also a private person. We were just a very normal family. The three of us were very close.
"We didn't socialise that much. We went on holidays and just stuck to our own activities.
"It wrecks your life, and I think if I accept it, then I will just not be able to cope. I need to be able to block it out as best I can and say it can't have happened, it's important not to change."
Ann McCombe, 48
Stanley McCombe lost his wife, Ann, in the 1998 atrocity and said his campaign to secure a public inquiry has consumed his life.
In a witness statement read by family solicitor John Fox, Mr McCombe said it has been the families who have held the terrorists to account through their campaigning and pursuit of a civil claim.
Mr McCombe said he and Ann, 48, had celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary the year she was murdered.
He said expressing their loss is "impossible".
"Ann was a wonderful and very, very caring person, and I suppose that is why I fell in love and married her," he said.
"I think she was the kindest-hearted person that I have ever known and she cared for everybody. Ann was a person who looked after herself and kept herself pretty fit. She was a very good Christian and loved her church. She loved her family and she loved everyone around her."
He was in Scotland with their eldest son Clive for the World Pipe Band championships when he was told about the bomb.
After identifying his wife at the morgue, he said the image of her will be in his head until the day he dies.
"Over the coming days, Ann was taken home and we had her funeral. There were thousands of people coming by the house.
"I stood for hours every day and night as people came from all over Northern Ireland. I had to look after my two boys and keep an eye on them. That is what kept me going.
"I had to keep them in the straight and narrow, and they had to know where they were, who they were with, what time they were going to be home, and how they were going to get home.
"Ann was well thought of and I have so many personal memories that I will hold dear to me for the rest of my life. She was kind, caring and always put herself last in every situation. We lost our world that day. Anne was one of the nicest people you could ever meet."
Aiden Gallagher, 21
Michael Gallagher's son Aiden, a 21-year-old mechanic, was one of the 29 people who lost their lives on the day.
Mr Gallagher became a "figurehead" for many of those affected by the Omagh bombing after he chaired a group set up to help grieving families.
Speaking about the day of the bomb, he said that he last saw his son at their family home hours before the blast.
He added that Aiden left to go into town to meet a friend to buy a pair of jeans.
Mr Gallagher described how it was "heartbreaking" to watch everyone in his family grieve and that following Aiden's death there was "no joy, no laughter" in their family home.
He said that Aiden had a strong work ethic.
"He was always somebody that knew the importance of doing things and doing them right and as he got older, he enjoyed doing what he'd done, but he also felt that it had to be done right," he added.
He said that Aiden developed a love for vehicles and engines from an early age.
"He was a normal young person. He would have went out at the weekend with his friends. They enjoyed having a beer and having fun," he added.
Aiden had a wide group of friends who came from different backgrounds, which was particularly evident during his wake and funeral.
"We live in a country that there's a lot of division, bigotry on both sides, but we never allowed that to penetrate our family," he added.
"We chose our friends because of the content of their heart, not because of their religion or their politics, and that was an example that we gave to our children."
Mr Gallagher said that Aiden was the joker of his friend group.
"There's no question about it. He enjoyed fun. He enjoyed company, enjoyed being with people.
"He was fun to be with. He was sensitive to others."
Oran Doherty, 8
Oran Doherty was a "great funny wee boy and a real character" who dreamed of one day playing for Celtic Football Club, or becoming a shopkeeper.
He had been on a day trip with friends from his hometown Buncrana along with Spanish children to the Ulster American Folk Park.
They had stopped in Omagh town to go shopping before returning home.
His mother, Bernie, said: "Oran was the fifth child of seven.
"He was fun-loving, happy go lucky and he loved football. He also loved to go fishing with his daddy, his older brother and his friends.
"He had written one time that when he grew up he wanted to play for Celtic or be a shopkeeper.
"All of Oran's friends are grown up now and have gone on to live their lives and I can't help but wonder what Oran would be doing now, would he have settled down and had a family of his own, would he have played football, what job would he have been in."
Ms Doherty said all the family have of Oran was a jar of sweets he bought on the day he died.
Shaun McLaughlin, 12
Shaun McLaughlin was on a day trip with a group of Spanish students who had been attending a summer programme in Buncrana, Co Donegal.
The outing was to the Ulster American Folk Park just outside Omagh, but the children were let finish off the day with a look around the shops in town.
Shaun's mother, Patricia, recalled her son as a happy boy who was so excited to be going on the trip to Omagh with his friends.
Mrs McLaughlin said her son personified the "hope of peace" on the island of Ireland following the Good Friday Agreement of April 1998.
She said Shaun had written a poem about the peace accord that he presented to then-president of Ireland Mary McAleese.
The poem was read to the inquiry.
"Orange and green, it doesn't matter;
"United now, don't shatter our dream;
"Scatter the seeds of peace over our land;
"So we can travel hand in hand across the bridge of hope."
A song that used Shaun's poem for part of its lyrics, which was recorded by the Omagh Community Choir, was then played to the inquiry as images of Shaun were displayed.
Esther Gibson, 36
A Sunday school teacher's murder in the Omagh bomb cut short a life rich in kindness, love and promise, the inquiry into the outrage has heard.
Esther Gibson, 36, was engaged to be married at the time of her death in August 1998.
The trained secretary, who worked at an Omagh clothing manufacturing factory, was one of 29 people who lost their lives on the day.
The second week of commemorative hearings for the victims began with a tribute written by Ms Gibson's four younger sisters.
It was read by one of her nieces in a recorded presentation played to inquiry chairman Alan Turnbull.
It described how Ms Gibson had grown up as part of a tight knit family that lived on a farm near Beragh, Co Tyrone.
In that environment she developed a "strong sense of duty and compassion that would characterise her life", the statement said.
Ms Gibson's sisters spoke of the "joy and purpose" she found in her strong Christian faith. She was a regular attender at Sixmilecross Free Presbyterian Church, where she was known for her "warmth and generosity".
"Esther was also actively involved in her church community, teaching Sunday school classes and serving as a role model for the younger generation," the sisters' statement said.
"Her commitment to her faith and to helping others was evident in all aspects of her life.
"At the time of her death, Esther was engaged to be married, looking forward to a future filled with hope and happiness. She was a young woman with much to look forward to. Her career was flourishing, her faith was strong, and she was preparing to embark on a new chapter of her life with her fiance.
"Esther's murder cut short a life that was rich in kindness, love and promise.
"She was deeply loved by her family, friends and community, and her absence is profoundly felt by all who knew her."
One of Ms Gibson's sisters - Caroline Martin - then read a poem to the inquiry that was written by a close relative in the months after her death.
The poem was about her absence from Ms Martin's wedding, which took place around six weeks after the bombing.
Ahead of reading the poem, Ms Martin told the inquiry how she and Ms Gibson, who were both engaged, planned the sequencing of their weddings.
"Esther had suggested, she had said because I was the younger sister to let me have my date first," she said.
Ms Martin then read out the poem, which described her older sister as a "silent special bridesmaid" and recounted how a bouquet of flowers tied with a blue ribbon was left on a table in the church to symbolise her.
The final line of the poem read: "Broken spirits, shattered dreams, blue ribbons holding together memories, sweet memories that will linger always."
After it was read to the inquiry, Lord Turnbull thanked the family for sharing their memories of Ms Gibson.
"Esther was plainly a caring and generous Christian person with a strong sense of community, whose life and personality acted as a good role model for others," he said.
"Like a number of those killed on that day, Esther was on the brink of a new life full of promise and happiness, which she was so cruelly robbed of.
"Her absence will have constituted a profound loss to her family and to all who shared her company."
Avril Monaghan, 30
Avril Monaghan, 30, was pregnant with twin daughters when she was killed in the Omagh bombing along with her 20-month-old daughter Maura and her 66-year-old mother Mary Grimes.
The family told the inquiry was told they were robbed of three generations of females in the atrocity and that they hope no other family suffers as they have.
The inquiry was shown ultrasound scan pictures of the unborn twin girls who had been named Eimear and Evelyn.
In a recording played to the inquiry, Ms Monaghan's daughter Aoibheann spoke about her mother Avril, sister Maura and the two twin girls she had looked forward to having as sisters.
Aoibheann said her mother grew up in the farmlands of Beragh with nine brothers, one sister and her parents, with a love of camogie and Irish dancing, and went on to meet her husband-to-be Michael at Kelly's in Ballygawley.
She said she had become the proud mother of four children by the age of 30, describing her as "calm and nurturing and approached life with a can-do attitude".
"Her life at the age of 30 was tragically cut short on August 15, 1998," Aoibheann said.
She added: "On the day of our granny's 66th birthday, they travelled to Omagh to celebrate when fate intervened.
"The Omagh bomb stole our mummy from her loved ones, leaving behind a grieving husband and three of her children aged only five, four and three, as well as the wide Monaghan and Grimes families.
"Her mother, Mary Grimes, her youngest daughter Maura, as well as Eimear and Evelyn were all taken from us that day."
She described the twin girls as two little girls they were extremely excited to meet and welcome.
She said: "Unfortunately that day did not come, and the pictures of the scan are a reminder of the many futures that never became a reality following the bomb on August 15, 1998."
She added: "We have no doubt that mummy, Maura, Eimear, Evelyn and granny have been our guardian angels over the years and will continue to be present in our lives for all time.
"The loss we as a family have experienced over the last 26 years cannot be measured, and there is no replacement for the time we would have had with mummy, Maura, Eimear, Evelyn and granny.
"We are however eternally grateful for the time that we did have with them, and we only hope that no other family has to suffer as we did."
Maura Monaghan, 20 months old
Maura Monaghan, 20 months old, was the youngest victim of the Real IRA attack and was killed along with her grandmother, Mary Grimes, and her mother, Avril Monaghan, who was pregnant with twin daughters.
Maura's sister, Aoibheann, described her as a "source of light and joy to our family and everyone around her", with a "bubbly personality and unmistakable head of curly hair".
The inquiry was told that little Maura had won a "bonnie baby" competition during her short life.
"Maura may have left this world too soon, but she will forever remain a shining light for us and we have no doubt that the world would have been a better place had she lived," Aoibheann said.
Mary Grimes, 66
Mary Grimes, 66, was killed in the atrocity on her along with her daughter Avril Monaghan, 30, who was pregnant with twin daughters, and her 20-month-old daughter Maura.
Her son, Fearghal, gave evidence to the inquiry and recalled how at the inquests into the Omagh bomb, former senior coroner John Leckey said he could not remember any one family suffering such a loss in the history of the Troubles.
He described his mother Mary as a woman with a strong Catholic faith, a strong work ethic and a "deep sense of family values and she lived these out every day".
Born in Co Cork, he said she trained to be a nurse and then a midwife before meeting his father Mick and settling together on a dairy farm in Beragh - where they had 11 children.
"No-one was ever turned away from her door and no-one left without a cup of tea or some of her beautiful current bread or apple tart," he said.
"A modest women all her days, our mother let her actions and her endless compassion speak for her.
"She was happiest in the kitchen surrounded by her family.
"Her tragic passing in the cruellest of ways possible, the Omagh bomb, robbed us, her family, her husband, friends and neighbours a chance to pay back the love and affection she had shown to all of her.
"A massive dignified crowd at her wake and funeral and those of her beautiful daughter Avril, her granddaughter Maura and Avril's unborn twins reflected the enormity of the loss for her family, neighbours and society."
He added: "Were it not for the faith and compassion that our mother Mary and father Mick passed on to us 11 children and 28 grandchildren and indeed the local community, we would not have been fit to carry on with the quiet dignity and resolve to make society a better place for everyone."
Breda Devine, 20 months old
Breda Devine, who was 20 months old, had been with her mother on a shopping trip to Omagh on the afternoon of the attack.
She was second youngest victim of the Omagh bomb and had been due to be a flower girl at her uncle's wedding.
In a statement from her family read to the inquiry, it was recalled that the toddler from Donemana had been born three months prematurely, had "clung to life in hospital, and had grown to be a healthy little girl".
She had been due to be the flower girl at the wedding of her uncle and his fiancée the following weekend.
"The reason the family were in Omagh town centre was for Breda's mother to buy a wedding present for Breda's uncle and some shoes for Breda to wear at the wedding," the statement read.
"Breda was the second youngest victim of the bomb and her funeral took place at St Mary's Church, Aughnabrack. She was given a guard of honour by the GAA team her family were a part of."
Alan Radford, 16
Alan Radford, 16, was in Omagh with his mother to help her with the shopping and was also set to open a bank account as he prepared for the next stage of his life.
His sister, Claire Hayes, remembered him as "radiating light". She also described him as having "no malice, not a bad bone in his body".
During her evidence to the Omagh bombing inquiry, she also shared remarks from the rest of her family, including from her sister Elaine who said their family had been broken beyond repair by Alan's murder, adding: "There is no way of healing our hearts."
Ms Hayes, who is just six months younger than Alan, said they had been very close, describing him as her "other half".
"Me and Alan were so close in age that everything in life we shared... we walked down the road to school together, we came home together, we shared every part of our life," she told the inquiry.
"He had named me Sissa, just Alan's wee way of speaking to me."
"Other teenage boys would have been out with friends or mucking out at the park, Alan had so much dedication to our mother that he went every Saturday with her into the town to help her carry the shopping home," she said.
Ms Hayes added: "He had the purest heart, heart of gold and the clarity and innocence he had was like the purest form of a diamond you could ever get."
Ms Hayes recalled the last time she ever saw her brother getting ready to go into Omagh with their mother.
"I said 'Alan, remember to get your hair cut today, number two around the sides and get it cut on top, and for God's sake remember to buy gel', he said, 'yeah, ok Sissa, I love you, I'll see you later'," she said.
"I watched them walking up the path... that was the last time I ever seen him alive."
Fernando Blasco Baselga, 12
Fernando Blasco Baselga, 12, was part of a group of school children from Spain who had been on a language exchange trip to Donegal.
They had visited the Ulster American Folk Park just outside Omagh before travelling to Market Street which was devastated by the car bomb at 3.04pm.
The public inquiry heard that it was Fernando's second time on the exchange programme in Co Donegal.
Solicitor Michael Donaghy read a statement prepared with Fernando's family in memory of his life.
The inquiry was told Fernando had six brothers and sisters at home in Madrid, played handball on his school team and loved food, particularly rice salad.
"He was a good, happy and generous child. He got along well with everyone," Mr Donaghy said.
"At home he made the relationships between everyone easy.
"When asked what was important to him, his response was 'to reach heaven', pointing with an arrow upwards towards the word God. That's what he wanted for his future, he didn't consider anything else," he added.
Mr Donaghy said on 15 August, Fernando was part of the day trip from Buncrana with 31 Spanish children, and ten local school children.
"The trip had already visited the Ulster American Folk Park and was in Omagh town centre to do some shopping before heading back to Buncrana," he said.
"The children on the trip were gathered in the town centre waiting for the area to be declared safe at the time of the explosion.
"Fernando was given a full military escort home to Madrid. His funeral took place in a private chapel in south-west Madrid."
Rocio Abad Ramo, 23
Rocio Abad Ramos, 23 and from Madrid, was also involved in the exchange trip with young Spanish children to Buncrana in Co Donegal.
Speaking through a translator at the inquiry, her sister Paloma Abad Ramos recalled how Rocio, who had been to Ireland five times, had initially not been impressed with the local food, complaining about seeing butter and peas everywhere.
However, she said Rocio grew to enjoy Irish food, even exchanging recipes with those she had befriended in Donegal.
Ms Ramos described her sister as someone who was very athletic, who had been a Spanish long jump champion at 18, was also academically clever, winning a scholarship to university.
She said her sister gave her time to help others, including supporting vulnerable people to complete the Camino De Santiago pilgrimage.
Ms Ramos said when her parents left her sister at the airport, she was so excited to be going on the trip, and having just finished her studies she had a world of possibilities ahead of her.
"As our parents hugged and said goodbye to Rocio, little did they know that was to be the last time they would see their daughter alive," she said.
Paloma Abad Ramos recalls moment her father identified Rocio's body
In August 1998, Ms Ramos arrived home from a holiday to learn what had happened to Rocio, and followed her parents to Belfast, on a military plane with the families of other Spanish citizens who lost their lives or were injured.
They returned to Madrid on a military plane, with two coffins, Rocio's, as well as that of 12-year-old Fernando Blasco Baselga.
She described hugging her sister's coffin on the flight back.
On their return to Madrid, the two coffins were covered with Spanish flags and given a military parade, and later a state funeral which she compared to a Champions League final with crowds of people in attendance, including the king's daughter.
"I was in shock, just three days before we learned that our sister had been killed in a terrorist bombing in Ireland, it was mind-blowing and we were not able to cope with this," she said.
Ms Ramos summed her sister up as an extrovert and a "very special person" who had a love of Ireland.
"She had a family here, she loved Irish and the culture and the country," she added.
Debra-Anne Cartwright, 20
Debra-Anne Cartwright, 20, from Birchwood in Omagh, was working in a beauty salon in the town centre.
She was a former pupil of Omagh High School, and had just completed her A-levels and had been hoping to go to Manchester University to study textile design.
The inquiry heard her results were set to open up a "new world of opportunity" for her.
Reading a statement on behalf of the family, inquiry barrister John Rafferty said: "Her results, which arrived on the day of her funeral, confirmed that she had been successful."
On the day of the attack, she evacuated the beauty salon during the security alert prompted by the bomb warning and was walking down Market Street when the device exploded.
Mr Rafferty told the inquiry that Ms Cartwright's funeral at St Columba's Church in Omagh heard that she was a woman "full of life and energy".
The inquiry chairman reflected that she was one of several young people killed in the bombing.
"All of these were children or young people whose lives were taken from them before they had any chance to grow and live as adults and to experience any of the joys and tribulations of a full and independent life," he said.
"In Debra-Anne's case, as I have just heard, it further compounds the cruel denial of her future that on the day of her funeral she received confirmation of the exam results which would have taken her to university and opened a whole new world of opportunity to her."
Gareth Conway, 18
Gareth Conway, 18, went to Omagh town centre on the day of the 1998 explosion to buy new jeans and collect contact lenses ahead of a date with his girlfriend that evening.
His sister Shawneen Conway told the inquiry into the Real IRA outrage that he was the "angel" of the family whose loss had left a "permanent void" in all their lives.
Ms Conway said their brother had left behind a "legacy of love, hard work and quiet strength that continues to be felt by those who knew him".
"Gareth was a diligent, conscientious and humble young man who approached everything he did with a sense of care and precision," she said.
Ms Conway spoke of her brother's passion for woodwork and building things with his hands. The inquiry was then shown a picture of a model of the local chapel he had built out of clothes pegs.
She said Gareth loved animals, especially dogs, and also enjoyed playing soccer and gaelic football.
"At 18, he had all a young man would want," she said.
"He was very happy and looking forward to the next stage in his life. He had his driver's licence, a job in Omagh Meats, he was playing the game he loved.
"He had a girlfriend and had recently been accepted into university to study engineering. The fact he was going on to third level education was a reflection of his intelligence, determination and the bright future that lay ahead of him.
This page will be updated each day with the portraits of each of those who died.
