20 years ago, Ireland mourned as the UVF slaughtered the innocent at Loughinisland.

Loughinisland 18^th June 1994, the sleepy village set between Downpatrick and Ballynahinch county Down settled in to watch the Republic of Ireland take on Italy in New York’s iconic Giant’s Stadium in the World Cup finals as World Cup Mania swept across Ireland north and south.

Shortly after 10pm as Ireland lead the Italians 1-0, the second half had just kicked off, and inside the Heights Bar all eyes were on the television. The bar is tiny: there were 15 men inside, and it was packed.

At approximately 10:10pm, two Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) members wearing boiler suits and balaclavas, and armed with assault rifles walked into the pub and opened fire on the crowd. Six men were killed outright, and five other people were wounded.

One of the intruders dropped to one knee and fired three bursts from an automatic rifle. Barney Green was sitting with his back to the door, close enough for the gunmen to reach out and tap his shoulder had they wished. He took the first blast, with around nine rounds passing through him before striking other men. Green, a retired farmer, was 87.

Green’s nephew, Dan McCreanor, 59, another farmer, died alongside him. A second burst killed Malcolm Jenkinson, 53, who was at the bar, and Adrian Rogan, 34, who was trying to escape to the lavatory. A third burst aimed at a table to the right of the door missed Willie O’Hare but killed his son-in-law, Eamon Byrne, 39. O’Hare’s son Patsy, 35, was also shot and died en route to hospital. Five men were injured: one, who lost part of a foot, would spend nine months in hospital.

24 years ago ‘Sheedy put the ball in the England net’.

24 years ago tomorrow (11^th June 2014) Kevin Sheedy sent us wild with a brilliant equalizing goal against England in the Stadio Sant’Elia in Cagliari in Sardinia, off the west coast of Italy.

I remember it vividly as a 10 year old boy running around the street with my Ireland t-shirt and face painted in the green, white and orange of the national flag.

I remember the atmosphere was electric as we faced ‘the old enemy’ in our first ever World Cups finals.

The English were favourites to win the encounter and it was the English who grabbed an early lead following some early jousting English winger Chris Waddle floated a beautiful cross that landed in the 18 yard box between the Irish central defensive partnership of Kevin Moran and Mick McCarthy.

England’s leading marksman Gary Lineker read the flight of the ball and raced between Moran and McCarthy. Lineker used his chest to steer the ball past the on-rushing Packie Bonner in the Irish goal. The English striker chased after the ball but the single touch from his chest was enough to see the ball over the line and into the net. One nil to England.

If the Irish lost their shape England had the players to punish them but this was unlikely with Jack Charlton in charge. For the rest of the first half and most of the second the Irish players, employing the typical Jack Charlton style of football, pressed in search of an equaliser.

With the Dutch, the European champions, also in Group F it was imperative to Ireland’s chances of qualifying for the knockout stages not to lose their opening match.

Just when it looked like the English might be able to hold out for a victory Ireland received a big slice of luck. When combative midfielder Steve McMahon failed to control the ball on the edge of the English 18 yard box Kevin Sheedy pounced and drove a left foot shot beyond Peter Shilton in the English goal.

It was unfortunate for McMahon who had just come on to the pitch as a substitute for Peter Beardsley but the goal had been coming as the English retreated deeper and deeper inviting the Irish players on to them.

The absolute mayhem that ensued in our street was that of pandemonium, we thought we had won the tournament. It was a great time to be an Irish fan and it really was a monumental few weeks. What great memories.