Loughinisland event to remember Eamonn

Loughinisland event to remember Eamonn

16 October 2019

A SPECIAL tribute will be paid to Eamonn Burns at the forthcoming Loughinisland GAC event to honour the Down 1994 Jubilee All-Ireland winning side.

The prolific midfielder – who died suddenly last week – will be remembered by team mates who are gathering on Saturday, 

October 26, to mark the 25th anniversary of Down’s historic win over Dublin in Croke Park.

Following Eamonn’s death last week, there was a doubt that the Loughinisland event would not proceed, but the former Down man’s colleagues say he would have wanted the event to go ahead.

Down’s 1994 victory came just three months after the Loughinisland massacre which saw six men murdered in The Height Bar by UVF gunmen while they watched Ireland’s 1-0 victory over favourites Italy in World Cup on June 18.

During that turbulent period of the Troubles, the recently-crowned Ulster champions, complete with the Anglo-Celt Cup, came to Macartan Park on July 28 to play a charity match against a select team of players from Loughinisland, Teconnaught and Drumaness.

Over 2,000 people turned up and the event raised over £5,000 for the Loughinisland Appeal Fund, which was set up to help the families of the murdered men.

The forthcoming celebration evening is being organised to thank the Down squad and back room team for coming to Loughinisland during a time when the people in the area were reeling after the atrocity.

A large contingent of the 1994 Down squad will be in attendance, including captain DJ Kane, Ross Carr, ‘Mayobridge Flyer’ Mickey Linden, James McCartan, Downpatrick pair Conor Deegan and Barry Breen, Castlewellan’s Gregory McCartan and Ciaran McCabe, Bryansford’s Brian Burns, Carryduff goalkeeper Neil Collins and, of course, Loughinisland’s Gary Mason and Gerard Colgan, plus many more.

Compere for the night will be TV and radio personality Frank Mitchell with the event sponsored by The Irish News. 

Tickets can be purchased in O’Toole’s Bar, Loughinisland GAC clubrooms, contacting the club’s Facebook page, email loughinislandgac@gmail.com, or calling 07761 754207.