Inquest into death of Kelly’s Bar victim John Moran to open after 50 years

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

A legacy inquest into the death of a victim of a loyalist paramilitary attack on a Belfast bar in 1972 will begin after 50 years, a coroner has said.

John Moran died in the aftermath of the gun and bomb attack at Kelly’s Bar on the Whiterock Road.

The attack happened on May 13 1972, when a car bomb exploded outside the bar, which was packed with people watching a televised football match between England and West Germany.

Mr Moran, 19, was working as a barman and died 10 days later of injuries sustained in the explosion.

During a pre-inquest review hearing into his death, coroner Joe McCrisken was updated on the release of information by the police and military, and efforts to trace witnesses, ahead of the inquest opening on May 23.

Fiona Doherty, counsel for Mr Moran’s family, expressed concern that the family had not been provided with much material ahead of the inquest.

She said: “We don’t have much time left and in terms of the next of kin’s possession of information we are at a very early stage and we’d just like to be sure that things are kept moving so we can make the date.”

Mr McCrisken said: “We will be making the date. We don’t have any more dates for the foreseeable future so we have managed to secure this court on two separate dates.

“In one way or the other I’ll be sitting in Banbridge on May 23 ready to hear evidence.

“I am absolutely committed to that date for everyone involved.”

A further review hearing of the case will be heard on April 4.

Another man, Thomas McIlroy, also died in the attack, and Gerard Clarke died of his injuries 17 years later.

Sixty-six other people were injured.