Emotion and hope mix freely at Loughinisland

Emotion and hope mix freely at Loughinisland

20 June 2012 - by BY JOANNE FLEMING

DESPITE the significance of the occasion, the mood at the Heights Bar on Monday was one of hope.

It was 18 years to the day since the tragedy — the night Loyalist gunmen opened fire in the tiny Loughinisland pub and killed six men watching Ireland play Italy in the World Cup.

On Monday evening at 7.45pm the tournament had changed but the two countries meeting again on such an anniversary could not go unmarked.

On what was an emotional but upbeat occasion, families of the victims, survivors, supporters and local residents crowded into the bar to watch the Irish football team wear black armbands in the game as a sign of respect to the six men who lost their lives.

Those at The Heights bar stood during the minute’s silence before the game, remembering Adrian Rogan, 34, Patrick O’Hare, 35, Eamon Byrne, 39, Malcolm Jenkinson, 53, Daniel McCreanor 59, and Barney Greene, 87.

Afterwards they sat down to watch the match, which Ireland ultimately lost 2-0, but the families were clearly pleased with the armband gesture and confident of pursuing justice for their loved ones.

UEFA agreed to the commemoration last month after the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) made the request on behalf of the victims’ families.

No-one has ever been prosecuted for what was one of the worst atrocities of The Troubles. Last June, a Police Ombudsman’s report into the killings concluded that police failed to properly investigate the loyalist attack but found insufficient evidence of security force collusion.

The Loughinisland families have rejected the findings of the report and have mounted a legal challenge to have the findings overturned.

Aidan O’Toole was the barman who survived the night of the UVF massacre. Eighteen years later, speaking above the noisy bar, he said the black armband gesture had touched the families.

“It means a lot to all the families,” he said. “It is the very least we can do to remember them, our six loved ones, the six men killed.”

Aidan, who has always stressed the cross-community support enjoyed by the pub, said there had been a great atmosphere at Loughinisland commemoration events held over the weekend.

“The play A Night in November was fantastic and at the Big Community Breakfast over 200 attended,” he said of the highlights. “On Sunday evening 200 attended the panel discussion and we talked about how we are continuing on our quest for justice. The McGurk’s bar families and Ballymurphy families were also there giving us the encouragement to keep fighting.”

Reflecting on the past year, which has seen the world’s eyes once again turned on Loughinisland, Aidan said his own personal grief remained intact.

“It is not very different,” he said. “Really, you are always thinking about it day and daily, but you try to cope with it in some way.

“There was great community spirit this week, which definitely helps.”

South Down MP Margaret Ritchie said that despite the anniversary being marked internationally, the focus remained with those still picking up the pieces at home.

“As we mark 18 years since the shooting we remember not only the absence of family and loved ones but also the absence of justice for the dead, the victims and their families,” she said.

“In the next few weeks the PSNI will publish the findings of their review into the Loughinisland murder inquiry, undertaken at the time by the then RUC. This review was one of the recommendations that came from the Ombudsman’s Report in 2011.

“It is my understanding that this review will result in the PSNI senior team recommending a number of actions to be taken forward by the PSNI, that will hopefully lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the Loughinisland murders.”

Sinn Fein MLA Catriona Ruane thanked everyone who came out to support the families over the weekend.

“The series of events were well attended and held in a dignified matter and I would like to acknowledge the support from The Bloody Sunday, Ballymurphy and the McGurks Bar campaigns,” she said.

“Not only did the commemoration highlight the injustices visited upon the families, it outlined the work that is needed to bring out the truth.  The gesture to be held tonight by the Irish soccer team to wear black armbands will also add an international dimension to the campaign.

“After 18 years it is time for the truth to emerge and I would call on everyone to get behind the campaign to get justice for the families.”