It has taken five difficult, frustrating years, but at last the Omagh relatives can see some progress in their fight for justice.
The legal system which has failed them for so long has finally achieved a notable measure of success against the leadership of the organisation which devastated so many lives in August 1998.
The conviction of Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday (Wednesday) will encourage those who have had an uphill struggle in bringing those responsible for Omagh to justice.
And while McKevitt was not charged with the Omagh bombing, the conviction of such a key figure represents a significant blow against the dissident movement.
McKevitt has become the first person in the Republic found guilty of directing terrorism, an offence introduced in the aftermath of the Omagh atrocity. As such, this case was an important test of the new legislation.
His conviction was secured as a result of the testimony of David Rupert, the main prosecution witness, who befriended the leading republican.
As with others before him, McKevitt was undone by vanity. He could not resist boasting of his activities to the tall American, who was, in fact, a spy who had agreed to infiltrate the Real IRA for the FBI and MI5.
As a result of the agent's evidence, which clearly impressed the judges as being truthful, McKevitt has been found guilty of directing terrorism in a highly dangerous organisation which has brought misery and mayhem to the lives of ordinary people.
The sentence he receives must reflect the seriousness of the role he has played within the Real IRA, which continues its repugnant and unjustified campaign of violence.
Many people will hope this verdict will lead to further police success against McKevitt's cohorts.
Five years on and there will be those who despair that the people responsible for killing 29 people including a woman with unborn twins may ever go to jail for these appalling murders.
There may be an acceptance that a more realistic option would be to pursue the bombers by other legal means. It is only sensible to explore all such avenues.
However, securing convictions for Omagh must still be the first priority. Those who planned and perpetrated that evil act must know that one day they will be held to account, no matter how long that may take.
