Loughinisland - How high does it go?

The families of the six men gunned down by a death squad 12 years ago as they watched a World Cup soccer match in a bar have travelled to the heart of the British establishment to call for an inquiry.

Their action follows recent revelations exposing the involvement of British agents in the attack and a subsequent cover-up by the RUC police.

Relatives of the victims of the June 1994 Loughinisland massacre in County Down were joined Sinn Féin South Down assembly member Caitriona Ruane tomorrow at Westminster to urge a cross-party delegation of British MPs to advance their case.

In advance of the visit, Ms Ruane said the families had waited patiently for justice for 12 years.

“The killings at Loughinisland had a deep impact on people across this island and the revelations of British involvement and cover-up have provoked much anger,” she said.

In June, relatives of the six victims of the Ulster Volunteer Force massacre, were stunned by evident that a British RUC agent supplied the car used in the sectarian attack.

Emma Rogan, who was eight when her 34-year-old father Adrian, a scrap metal collector, was shot dead said: “We want to know how high does this collusion go.

“I want to know how high did it go. It’s been hard. My mother and my family have been there for me but I feel cheated.”

The victims were watching Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland squad beat Italy in the 1994 USA World Cup when they were attacked.

They came from Loughinisland, Ballynahinch, Drumaness, and Downpatrick.

They were Adrian Rogan, 39-year-old Eamon Byrne, who was married with four children, his brother-in-law Patsy O’Hare, who was 35 and a single man, 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.

Earlier this year the families, formally complained to Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan about serious flaws in the police investigation.

In particular, the families are concerned about the destruction of vital forensic evidence, including UVF’s getaway car.

It has also emerged that a British agent has admitted supplying the car used in the murders, and that least one of the weapons used was imported from South Africa by another British agent.

The PSNI have consistently refused to answer questions from the families preferring to hide behind the Official Secrets Act

“Given the impact which the murders at Loughinisland had across Ireland and the determination of the families to see justice and truth delivered this is an issue which simply will not disappear for the British government,” said Ruane.

“Sinn Féin will continue to offer our full support to the families in their campaign and today’s meetings in London were another stage on the road to exposing British State involvement in the murders and what can only be described as a cover-up in its aftermath and since.”

Urgent Appeal