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Former Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt has died following a battle with cancer.<\/p>\nFormer Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt has died following a battle with cancer.<\/p>\n
McKevitt, who was one of four men found liable for the Omagh bomb, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer a number of years ago.<\/p>\n
He was released from prison in 2016 after serving a 20-year sentence for directing terrorism and membership of an illegal organization.<\/p>\n
The 71-year-old was married to Bernadette Sands McKevitt, a sister of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands.<\/p>\n
From Co Louth, McKevitt always denied being involved in the 1998 Omagh bombing, but in 2009 a judge ruled in a landmark civil trial that McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly were all liable for the bomb.<\/p>\n
He ordered them to pay a total of \u00a31.6 million damages to 12 relatives who took the case.<\/p>\n
A fifth man, Seamus McKenna, was cleared of liability for the bombing.<\/p>\n
No-one has ever been convicted of the dissident republican bomb attack in Omagh which killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.<\/p>\n
In a statement issued by Republican Network for Unity on Facebook, they said: \u201c(We) are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and comrade Michael McKevitt.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2019, McKevitt was adjudicated bankrupt in the High Court following failure to pay out the damages.<\/p>\n