THE Ormeau Road community has come together to mark the 50th anniversary of the Rose and Crown Bar atrocity.

Six men – John Gallagher (23), Thomas Morrissey (46), Francis Brennan (56), William Kelly (56), Jim Doherty (59) and Thomas Ferguson (62) – were killed in the explosion which was carried out by the UVF on May 2, 1974.18 people were also injured.

Last Thursday, a commemoration was organised by community group LORAG to mark the 50th anniversary, taking place at the mural beside the bar at the corner of Farnham Street.

Jude Whyte, who chaired the event, lost his mother in a UVF bomb blast outside the family home in University Street in April 1984.

"It is hard to believe it has been 50 years since the atrocity," he said. "The six men were unarmed civilians who were murdered simply because they were Catholics."

Paul Doherty, whose father Jim was killed that fateful night, read out some powerful words from his sister.

"As my sister said to me recently, 50 years have slipped away and dad’s absence is as raw as ever," he said. "His loss left us with a profound sense of longing and the pain has endured for decades.

"For myself, all I want to say is, 'Dad, I love you and I hope I have made you proud.'"

Andree Murphy from victims group Relatives for Justice (RFJ) used her address to speak about the Legacy Act.

"This community always shows solidarity to each other. What the Legacy Act has done to families is beyond words," she said.

"The coroners in the courts know the truth, as does the Attorney General, but the British government wants to continue to stop the truth coming out. It is a stain on our peace process.

"We will never give up. Communities like this will never give up."