The BBC's Andy Tighe: Lucy was born after four months of worry for her parents

Karon Armstrong, 28, suffered head injuries and burns after the explosion in the Ulster town in which 29 people died and nearly 300 were injured.

But in the early hours of Friday morning she gave birth to baby Lucy Jean Anne, weighing in at seven pounds twelve ounces.

Karon, and Lucy's father Stephen McCrea say their daughter is a symbol of hope for the people of Omagh, and are looking forward to a peaceful future.

Karon suffered two scares while pregnant with Lucy. As she and her partner made their way back from a holiday in Gran Canaria one of the wheels of their aeroplane exploded, ripping through a wing.

The plane eventually crashlanded in Tenerife after two unsuccessful attempts to touch down, Karon said.

29 people died in the Omagh bombing

And just three weeks after the first scare, when she was 26 weeks pregnant, Karon was caught up in the Omagh explosion while out shopping in the town with Stephen's sister Ann.

Karon said: "My sister Alison worked in the shop near where the bomb had been left, and when she was serving someone the bomb went off.

"All I knew was that Ann and myself were covered in rubble. Alison managed to get myself and Ann on to a bus which took us to the hospital. I was terrified that for the second time in a few weeks the life of my unborn baby was in danger."

She added: "I know every baby is special, but not too many babies in the womb survive a crashlanding and a massive bomb explosion.

"Lucy has a special place in the world and hopefully she will have a peaceful future. She has already gone through so much."

Karon, who expects to be released from hospital next week, said: "I just hoped she would be okay, that she would be healthy and perfect."

"When I heard she was born I couldn't look until they had counted her fingers and her toes and done all the ... tests telling me that she was perfect. I was scared to hear what they were going to say.