World Cup joy to horror – Loughinsland remembered 30 years on

The former Republic of Ireland footballer Niall Quinn has attended a church service in County Down for the victims of loyalist killings 30 years ago.

Six men were murdered when Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) killers burst into a bar in the village of Loughinisland where locals had gathered to watch an Ireland World Cup match on 18 June 1994.

Mr Quinn described his memory of the day of the tragedy.

“The contrast in emotions that day, I will never forget,” he said.

The former Ireland international footballer was in New York during Ireland’s defeat of Italy as part of the World Cup in New York on the day of the shooting.

“I was doing the co-commentary and there was such joy and euphoria at the end of the game, that something amazing had happened.”

Mr Quinn was subsequently asked to do an interview for an American news channel, thinking it was in relation to the football result.

He recalled: “When I put my earpiece in they said ‘we are coming to you now about the tragedy’, and I hadn’t heard until that point.”

Later in the interview, the news anchor asked Mr Quinn “will there ever be peace?” to which he answered “not in my lifetime”.

Thirty years on, he said that he is “so glad I was wrong about something”.

“The euphoria coming down to such horror and terror is something I will never forget,” he added.

Fresh flowers were placed around a small stone memorial outside St Macartan’s church where an anniversary Mass was attended by families and survivors.

Hundreds of people attended the open air Mass followed by a procession to the scene of the killings where prayers were offered for the victims.

The men who died were Adrian Rogan, 34; Malcolm Jenkinson, 53; Barney Green, 87; Daniel McCreanor, 59; Patrick O’Hare, 35; and Eamon Byrne, 39.

All six were Catholic civilians. Mr Green was one of the oldest people to be killed during the Northern Ireland Troubles.

Five other people who were also shot by the gunmen survived the attack.

Niall Quinn said it was a “powerful night” and he was “delighted” to have attended.

He said: “I take my hat off to the community, to the families.”

“It was a community coming together still feeling pain and helping each other, and I suppose putting their trust in God.”

He added that he was taken aback by the “expression of love between everyone”.

A relative of some of the victims, Patrick McCreanor, said the families are “still looking for justice”.

He said: “We are only scratching at the surface at the minute, this goes right up to the highest level of the authorities.

“Really up to the highest level, there is more still to come out.”