THE father of a Co Tyrone schoolboy who died in the Greenvale Hotel tragedy has spoken of the “raw pain” his family still feel.
James Bradley’s son Morgan Barnard (17) was one of three teenagers who lost their lives after a crush outside the Cookstown venue on St Patrick’s night.
He and Morgan’s mother Maria gathered with family and friends at St Patrick’s Church in Dungannon on Tuesday evening for a month’s mind Mass.
Masses are also being held this week in memory of Lauren Bullock (17) and Connor Currie (16).
Mr Bradley spoke of his family’s sense of loss.
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“The raw pain that me and Maria feel is still the raw pain that we are suffering from the first Sunday night four weeks ago when we went to Craigavon hospital,” he said.
“We are just devastated and missing our son so much and it has left an empty space in our hearts.”
At the time of the tragedy Maria was 17 weeks pregnant.
“Meeting parents that have gone through the same as I’m going through is giving myself and Maria hope really – that we can learn to live with it, because we know the pain will never go away,” Mr Bradley said.
He said his family have taken comfort from the “massive sense of community close to home and further afield”.
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“People have been in touch from all over Ireland,” he said.
Dungannon independent councillor Barry Monteith, who went to school with Mr Bradley, said: “All of us in the community will continue to help these families in any way we can, both in relation to dealing with the enormity of the grief they are experiencing and also supporting them as they begin to seek answers in relation to the death of their loved ones.”
On Tuesday night police said that “for legal reasons” they cannot confirm what a white powder found in the home of Greenvale owner Michael McElhatton is. They again confirmed that “the substance was not drugs” but refused to say what was in a plastic bag seized from his Moneymore home. The seizure led to his arrest and subsequent ‘de-arrest’ on suspicion of possession of drugs.
