No Stone Unturned picks up Royal Television Society award

No Stone Unturned picks up Royal Television Society award

21 November 2018

A FILM looking at claims of state collusion into the mass shooting of six innocent men at the Heights Bar in Loughinisland in 1994 has won an award at a prestigious ceremony recognising Northern Ireland programming. 

No Stone Unturned, which made its debut at the Eclipse Cinema in Downpatrick late last year, came top in the current affairs category at the Royal Television Society NI awards held at the Mac Theatre in Belfast last week.

While the documentary investigated the possibility of police involvement in the shooting, it broke fresh ground by naming alleged suspects in the attack. 

The film made more headlines in the national press in recent months when police arrested the journalists who made it, Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, subsequently questioning them about a suspicious theft relating to Police Ombudsman documents linked to the massacre.

The papers contained damning revelations on how police conducted their investigations following the shooting, but Mr McCaffrey later described the probe as an “attack on free press”. 

There was also a dispute over whether the Ombudsman’s office made a complaint to police that prompted the arrests. The Office said it briefed police on the matter but “did not make a complaint of theft”.

However, Durham Constabulary, which was asked by the PSNI to conduct the investigation, has maintained the Ombudsman office did report a theft to police. 

South Down MLA, Emma Rogan, whose father was murdered in the Loughinisland massacre and who took part in the documentary film, was delighted and honoured to accept the prestigious award.

She said: “I think it’s about time the journalists got recognition for the great work that they have been doing. No Stone Unturned has been seen throughout the world and it’s about time Barry and Trevor got recognition for the sterling work they did. 

“It wasn’t an easy film for them to make and it’s not an easy film for us to watch. It is probably one of the most private things in anyone’s life is the loss of a loved one, never mind in the circumstances that we had to deal with. But they did the work with such respect for us.”

Ms Rogan said the film makers never overstepped the mark at any stage, but they still got what they needed. 

She added: “Both myself and my mummy felt we had trust in Trevor the whole time. I was that young and there are parts of the ordeal that I don’t even remember, but this documentary brings it all back.”