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Miami Showband member Stephen Travers visited Daisy Hill Hospital last week on the 50th anniversary of the attack that saw three of his bandmates murdered. Newry and Armagh MLA Justin McNulty was also at the visit has paid tribute to the Miami Showband and the medical teams who saved the life of Travers.
Mr McNulty said: “50 years ago, July 31st 1975, the Miami Showband Massacre shocked Ireland and the world. Ambushed by a loyalist paramilitary unit posing as a military checkpoint, three members of Ireland’s beloved Miami Showband were murdered in cold blood. Among the survivors was bass guitarist Stephen Travers, who, despite sustaining life-threatening injuries, lived to tell the story.
“Stephen was rushed to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, where the dedication, skill, and compassion of doctors and nurses saved his life. In the chaos and carnage of one of The Troubles’ darkest chapters, it was their quiet heroism that made survival possible.
“It was stirring to stand beside Stephen as he entered the ward where his life was saved - that ward is now a delivery suite in Daisy Hill's Maternity Unit. Five decades later, Stephen Travers honours not just the memory of his fallen bandmates, Fran O’Toole, Brian McCoy, and Tony Geraghty but also the medical professionals whose swift actions gave him the gift of life and the strength to become a voice for truth, peace, and justice.
“As we mark this solemn anniversary, we remember the power of music, the fragility of peace, and the enduring courage of those who risked everything to save lives.”
