Bar massacre families to go to European Parliament

The families of six men gunned down in a bar in the North as they watched a World Cup match are to take their case for justice to the European Parliament.

Relatives of people killed in the June 1994 Loughinisland massacre will meet MEPs later this month to highlight concerns about security force collusion in the loyalist gun attack.

Patrick McCreanor, whose uncle Dan McCreanor and great uncle Barney Green were among those murdered, confirmed during a visit to Westminster today that the families plan to take their case directly to Brussels.

He said: “What we are trying to do is ensure people are aware of what happened in Loughinisland and get to the truth of what happened.

“We’re in London today meeting the Conservatives, Labour MPs, the Liberal Democrats and members of the Northern Ireland Select Committee. We will be in Brussels later in the month.

“We’re telling them 12 years have passed since the massacre and the police have kept us in the dark for all this time. It’s time everyone got to the truth of what happened.”

The victims were watching Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland squad beat Italy in the 1994 USA World Cup on television in the Heights Bar in the Co Down village of Loughinisland when an Ulster Volunteer Force gang struck, opening fire on customers.

The victims, who were all Catholic, came from Loughinisland, Ballynahinch, Drumaness and Downpatrick.

They were 34-year-old father of two Adrian Rogan, 39-year-old Eamon Byrne, who was married with four children, his brother-in-law Patsy O’Hare, who was 35 and single, 59-year-old Dan McCreanor, a single farmer, his uncle Barney Green, an 87-year-old retired pig farmer who was married, and 54-year-old Malcolm Jenkinson, a building contractor who was married with three children.

Charlton’s team learnt of the atrocity after securing their historic victory over Italy and the Football Association of Ireland sent a message of condolence.

The attack was also condemned by the Queen of England and Pope John Paul II.

Earlier this year the families, through their solicitors, formally complained to the North's police ombudsman Nuala O’Loan about serious flaws in the police investigation.

In particular, the families raised concern about the loss of potentially vital forensic evidence and the decision by the police to destroy the UVF’s red getaway car in 1996.

They also expressed concerns about recent claims that a police agent codenamed Mechanic was believed to have supplied the car.

The relatives have called for an inquiry into the link between the Czech-made VZ rifle used in the attack and the arms shipment brought to the North from South Africa by loyalists, including Ulster Defence Association member and British agent Brian Nelson.

The Loughinisland Justice Group published a six-page leaflet outlining the reasons for their campaign and containing 10 portraits of the six victims.

The group was in London today with Sinn Féin Assembly member Caitriona Ruane to meet shadow Northern Ireland secretary David Liddington, Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn, Liberal Democrat Northern Ireland spokesman Lembit Opik and members of the Northern Ireland Select Committee.

Emma Rogan, who was eight when her father Adrian, a scrap metal collector, was shot dead, said the families were delighted with the support their campaign had received in Northern Ireland in recent months.

“It’s been heartening to have people from both communities in places like Loughinisland, Ballynahinch and Downpatrick come up and wish us well in our quest for justice,” she said.

“What we are trying to make clear to the MPs today is the six people killed in Loughinisland were innocent.

“My father was innocent. He was a hard-working family man who adored his children.

“He had friends on both sides of the community and had no political association whatsoever.

“My father happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn’t deserve what happened to him and he certainly doesn’t deserve the secrecy which has shrouded the polce investigation all this time.”

Following the release of a report into collusion in the 1970s yesterday, which found evidence of RUC and British Army involvement in 74 loyalist murders, Sinn Féin Assembly member Ms Ruane said the British government should face up to the issue.

“The British government is going to have to come clean – not just in this atrocity but in loads of other cases,” the South Down Assembly member said.

“There is obvious collusion in the Loughinisland killings. One has to ask why did the RUC destroy the UVF gang’s car?

“We know agent Mechanic supplied the car. What was the role of agents? What was the ballistic history of the gun used in the attack?

“Why have the RUC and latterly the PSNI completely and utterly failed to properly investigate these murders? Why have they kept the families in the dark?

“There’s a huge sense out there that there has been a cover-up over Loughinisland.”