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The 100th Anniversary of the Altnaveigh Massacre was remembered on Sunday at a special parade and service at Altnaveigh Orange Hall. A memorial service is held annually but this year saw several hundred in attendance, the hall filled to capacity with many more outside.
The early hours of 17 June 1922 saw an IRA attack in the townland's of Altnaveigh and Lisdrumliska just outside Newry, that left six Protestants dead and many others injured. They were all shot in or around their own homes and their ages ranged from 19 to 61.
Thomas (61) and Eliza Ann (56) Crozier, James Lockhart (25), Joseph Murdock Grey (19), John Heslip (51) and Robert Heslip (19) all lost their lives in the indiscriminate attack. The victims houses were all burnt and in total a dozen houses were set alight.
Orangemen from throughout County Armagh and beyond took part in Sunday's Parade to Altnaveigh Orange Hall. The parade was led by Bessbrook True Blues and followed by Altnaveigh Memorial Pipe Band and the William Sterrit Memorial Flute Band, Banbridge.
Also as part of the centenary services a graveside commemoration took place at the Meeting House Green and St Patrick's graveyard in Church Street, Newry on Friday last, the 17th, a hundred years to the day of the murders. Prayers were once again said by Rev Hutton and Andrew Pollock of Altnaveigh Memorial Pipe Band played a lament at each grave.
Check out photographs from the event below.
