Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern has visited Omagh as part of a one-day trip to Northern Ireland.

It was the first time he has visited the town since attending a prayer service shortly after the 1998 IRA bombing, in which 29 people died.

However, some of the victims' relatives were planning a boycott, in protest at the visit's "token" nature.

"Our group will not be represented when Mr Ahern visits Omagh," said spokesman Michael Gallagher.

"We have been asking for a meeting with him for five years, but when I asked how long we would be able to meet with him, I was told the most we could hope for was five to 10 minutes.

"We want a proper sit-down meeting, not a photo opportunity for the Taoiseach."

Instead, visited Enda Kenny, leader of the main Irish opposition party Fine Gael.

However, theirs was expected to be one of only a few minor protests, after Irish government officials held talks with loyalists and DUP members.

Whirlwind trip

Ahern's trip was a whirlwind affair as he travelled by helicopter to each engagement.

His first stop was Londonderry, where he met with SDLP leader Mark Durkan, after which he will travelled to Coleraine to give a keynote speech on the political process.

It was then that he made his visit to Omagh, meeting local politicians and a small number of relatives.

He was set to finish his trip in Belfast, where he will met Lord Mayor Martin Morgan along with community workers and councillors.