Three Dead After St Patrick's Event In Cookstown

Police have confirmed the identities of three teenagers who died in an apparent crush at a County Tyrone hotel on St Patrick's Day.

The young victims, 16-year-old Connor Durrie, 17-year-old Lauren Bullock and 17-year-old Morgan Barnard, died after the incident at the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown on Sunday 17 March.

Detectives have launched a major investigation in conjunction with Environmental Health at Mid Ulster Council to establish what happened at the scene.

Events are understood to have unfolded shortly before 9.30pm when the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received an emergency call. Police rushed to the scene and a major incident was declared, with parents urged to collect children from a local Family and Friends Centre.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd extended his heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of those who lost their lives. He said: "A major investigation is underway and I can confirm that a specialist team of detectives has now been assigned to the enquiry. They will seek to establish the full circumstances of this dreadful incident. This will be an extensive investigation with potentially hundreds of witnesses, many of whom are teenagers. The community will understand that this investigation will rightly be painstaking and detailed. We will proceed in a sensitive manner and our enquiries are likely to take some time to complete. I thank the Cookstown and wider community in advance for their patience and support."

Any young people who were present at the Greenvale have been urged to get in touch with detectives and pass on what they saw.

"I can understand that there may be some reluctance to contact police if you are underage, but please do not be concerned," the Assistant Chief Constable continued. "We are investigating the deaths of three young people, young people just like you. That is our focus. We want to be able to give their families answers and your recollection of the events as they unfolded is crucial."

Detectives can be contacted at the dedicated incident room at Dungannon police station on 101, extension 53055. Anyone with images or footage can pass them to police using this link.



(JG/CM)