On This Day 1994, Loughinisland – Families come together for anniversary of gun attack that left six dead watching World Cup match

FAMILIES of those killed and injured and survivors of the unionist gun attack that left six men dead while they were watching the Ireland v Italy World Cup soccer match in Loughinisland in 1994 will come together today to watch the Ireland v Belgium Euro 2016 Championship game – on the exact anniversary of the 1994 sectarian attack.

Aidan O’Toole, one of the survivors of the gun attack carried out by members of the unionist Ulster Volunteer Force and agents working for the RUC and British Military Intelligence, says the families always come together for Ireland’s big matches in a show of solidarity and support for each other.

Meanwhile, a social media campaign has urged people watching the game to stand up in the sixth minute of today’s match at 14:06 – the time that the Loughinisland attack occurred. #StandUpForLoughinisland

◼︎ Six men were killed and five more wounded in the UVF gun attack on The Heights Bar in Loughinisland, County Down, on 18 June 1994 while watching an Ireland World Cup soccer match.

The six men cut down by the UVF as they watched the football were Daniel McCreanor (59), Adrian Rogan (34), Malcolm Jenkinson (52), Eamon Byrne (39), Patrick O’Hare (35) and Barney Greene (87).The Police Ombudsman in the Six Counties said in his report published in the past fortnight:

“I have no hesitation in saying collusion [between RUC police officers and the UVF] was a significant feature of the Loughinisland murders.”

The catalogue of collusion contained in the report includes:-

• The involvement of agents of the British state forces – police, military and intelligence – in the importation of weapons used in the murders;
• The role of agents directly involved in the attack;
• The active participation of British state agents in the killings;
• Collusion between RUC police officers and the UVF murder gang, resulting in suspects being tipped off that they were to be arrested;
• Failure to follow up information;
• “Catastrophic failures” in the investigation of suspects.