Cookstown hotel disco crush: Remembering those who died

Lauren Bullock, 17, Morgan Barnard, 17, and 16-year-old Connor Currie died after the incident

It is exactly one year since three teenagers went to a St Patrick's night disco in County Tyrone and did not come home.

Morgan Barnard, 17, Connor Currie, 16 and Lauren Bullock, 17, died in a crowd crush involving hundreds of young people outside the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown on 17 March 2019.

"We have identified more than 1,000 witnesses within this investigation, amongst these are approximately 800 young people who were at the venue on St Patrick's night.

It remains the subject of a police investigation.

Det Ch Insp Eamonn Corrigan said they had identified more than 1,000 witnesses, of which about 800 were young people at the venue.

On the first anniversary, no public vigils or events are planned.

Morgan's parents say their lives came to a standstill when their son died

Instead, the three young people will be remembered in private - after what one family described as a "horrendous" year.

"Life stopped last 17 March," Morgan's mother, Maria Barnard, told BBC News NI.

"People say 'another year has flown in' and 'here did that year go?' but our lives are still the same.

"I haven't moved any further than 17 March last year. I'm stuck there."

Morgan's family released this photograph to mark their son's first anniversary

The PSNI said officers were "continuing to work diligently and this major investigation is advancing".

Det Ch Insp Eamonn Corrigan said: "However it will take time as it is complex and involves a significant number of witnesses and substantial amounts of evidence to be assessed and progressed.

"However we remain absolutely committed to building up an accurate picture of what happened last St Patrick's night.

"We have identified more than 1,000 witnesses within this investigation, amongst these are approximately 800 young people who were at the venue on St Patrick's night.

"It takes time to cross reference witness statements with CCTV footage, mobile phone videos and phone calls made to the emergency services as well as other evidence gathered.

"I understand the length of time this takes can be frustrating for the teenagers' loved ones but it is important we get this right for them."

'More cautious'

He added that the PSNI's thoughts were with the families and friends of those who died.

Morgan's father, Jimmy Bradley, said: "For the foreseeable future, we can't see it getting any better, although we're told it will.

"But we have to wake up every day without Morgan and the facts are that he isn't coming back.

"To even say that today is very difficult."

The Greenvale Hotel is not opening as a mark of respect

The Greenvale Hotel had previously announced it would not be opening on the anniversary as a sign of respect.

There had been plans to remember the victims as part of the St Patrick's Day parade in Dungannon.

However that event, like many others, was cancelled due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

The family believes the whole community continues to be impacted by last year's tragedy.

"The ripples of the impact of what happened go as far as the ocean can go," Mr Bradley said.

"Parents are much more cautious about letting their young people out."

Catherine McBennett said the teenagers' friends feared they would be forgotten

It is a thought shared by Catherine McBennett, founder of the Niamh Louise Foundation, a charity in Dungannon that supports people who have experienced trauma.

"The sense within the community was fear, shock and disbelief," she said.

"Also a lot of young people stopped going out. They were afraid of going out and something happening to them.

However, she said the "main fear" among teenagers with whom she has worked is that the three victims "would be forgotten" as "everyone was going on with their lives."

It was a normal reaction following trauma, she said, but those affected needed support to deal with those emotions.