A BOOK of condolence for those who lost their lives in Sunday’s tragic events in Cookstown has been opened at Belfast City Hall.

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Deirdre Hargey, joined representatives from all the political parties on Belfast City Council to open the book on Tuesday afternoon.

It will be available for signing in the main reception of the City Hall during normal opening hours (8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday).

Lauren Bullock (17), Morgan Barnard (17) and Connor Currie (16) died in a crush outside the Greenvale Hotel as up to 400 young people queued for a St Patrick’s Day disco on Sunday night.

Officers are examining CCTV footage of the incident and have appealed for any mobile phone footage or photographs of the incident to be passed to investigators.

Police are continuing to appeal for anyone who was at the hotel at the time of the tragedy.
Det Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray said the focus of the investigation is about “trying to find answers for the families of the three teenagers who tragically died.”

He added: "We need to know what you saw so the heartbroken families of Connor, Lauren and Morgan know what happened to their children.”

The 52-year-old owner of the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown, Michael McElhatton, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter.
A second man aged 40 is also being questioned by police in relation to Sunday’s incident.