The man charged with murdering 29 people in the Omagh bombing appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court today via a video link from Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim where he is on remand accused of 61 terrorist explosive offences.
Lawyers defending South Armagh electrician Sean Hoey (35) confirmed they would be cross-examining a list of forensic witnesses at a hearing next month.
Hoey, of Molly Road, Jonesborough, is accused of membership of the "Real IRA", the dissident republican organisation that carried out the August 1998 attack.
Hoey, who faces charges of conspiring to kill members of the security forces as well, is the first man to be accused of the murders. The charges follow an 18-month police investigation of all available evidence.
Defence solicitor Peter Corrigan told the court he wanted those involved in the forensic examination to be called as witnesses at a preliminary inquiry. A list of people to be questioned will be given to the court within the next few days, he added.
As he negotiated how this evidence should be recorded by audio techniques in a bid to speed up the process, resident magistrate Desmond Perry revealed the huge amount of documentation involved.
He said: "I'm told there are 12 boxes of papers potentially for me to read."
Hoey was remanded in custody to appear again on June 20th when the preliminary inquiry hearing will begin.
Michael and Patsy Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the explosion, and Stanley McComb, who lost his wife Ann, were in court for the 10-minute hearing.
They are also part of a multi-million pound civil action against five men they suspect of plotting the outrage.