Funeral of Omagh bomb suspect Seamus McKenna in Louth

Seamus McKenna was acquitted in a civil case over the 1998 Omagh bombing

A major security operation was put in place in County Louth on Wednesday for the funeral of a man suspected of being involved in the 1998 Omagh bombing.

Seamus McKenna, 58, died after he fell from scaffolding while repairing a roof at a school in Dundalk last week.

He was acquitted in a civil action taken by relatives of the bomb victims.

They claimed he was linked to mobile phones used in the 1998 attack, which killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.

The bombing, in County Tyrone, was carried out by the Real IRA.

Armed checkpoints were set up on the approach roads to St Mary's Church in Ravensdale and cars were searched.

Show of strength

Police public order units were put on standby along with the mounted unit, the Emergency Response Unit and uniformed police.

The Garda (police) helicopter also monitored the funeral and officers from the special detective unit escorted mourners to prevent any paramilitary display or dissident republican show of strength.

However, the funeral passed off without incident.

Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan previously warned that the force would not allow any such activity.

On Monday he said: "There is one army in this country and there is one policing service. We will ensure that position remains.

"We do not like being present in any large numbers at a particularly sensitive time when people are burying their loved ones. But we will not allow any display of paramilitarism."

A number of people were charged after dissident republican activity at the funeral of a leading Real IRA member in Dublin in September 2012.

Shots were fired over 32-year-old Alan Ryan's coffin as it left his home. The funeral was accompanied by masked men and women.