Burrendale Hotel, Newcastle, Co Down: Man orphaned by IRA 'shocked' that his wedding reception venue refuses to return calls about Sinn Fein event for Paul Magorrian

He was shot dead by the Army in Castlewellan in August 1974.

According to Troubles reference work ‘Lost Lives’, soldiers said he was aiming a gun at them when he was shot and that a rifle was found by his side.

The SDLP disputed the circumstances of his death, but An Phoblacht says he died "on active service".

Previously, Castlewellan GAC publicly rejected Sinn Fein's attempt to book their club for the event after which the venue was moved to the Burrendale.

Terror victims led by the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) asked the hotel management for a meeting, which was not granted.

Neither the hotel nor Sinn Fein have acknowledged repeated inquiries by the News Letter on the matter over the past month.

South Down IRA Victim Sammy Heenan says he has called the hotel several times and asked management to contact him but none of his calls have been returned.

As a child he was sleeping early one morning in 1985 when he was awoken by the IRA shooting his father dead outside his bedroom window on their farm, just north of Castlewellan. The murder left him an orphan at 12 years of age.

"I think it is quite shocking that the hotel has returned none of my calls," he said.

"Several times I've left messages. I explained who it was, I left my name, and in one case, I was put through to the management, and then the lady said, 'Alright, management is not available, and they will contact you in due course'.

"But I'm still waiting on the call."

"We had our wedding reception there in 1997, and we have visited there many times. It is a hotel which was always regarded as a neutral space in the community and had a very good reputation."

He said it was "surprising" that the hotel accepted the booking after the GAA in Castlewellan refused it.

Mr Heenan said he will be attending the alternative victims event in Newcastle Main on Friday organised by SEFF and Mourne Action for Survivors of Terrorism (MAST).

Kenny Donaldson, SEFF's Director, said: "There are some who question the usefulness of the event we are supporting south down based victims/survivors with on Friday evening. These individuals are complicit alongside others in facilitating the mainstreaming and acceptance of the terrorism narrative.

"They project themselves as being concerned with peace and reconciliation without the first notion of what needs to happen within this society for peace and reconciliation to have any realistic chance.

"Our event on Friday evening will be dignified and will be victim/survivor focused and led. The two tribes within this society are not Protestant, Unionist, Loyalist and Catholic, Nationalist, Republican.

"The two fundamental groupings are those who used, excuse or absolve terrorism and violence and then there are those of us - SEFF and MAST - who consistently oppose all criminal violence and its' mainstreaming within Society. We're proud to occupy this territory."

The SEFF / MAST event begins at 7.30pm on Friday at the front of the Newcastle centre situated on the main street and next to Newcastle cenotaph.

A local history book, The History of Kilmegan and Surrounding Area, says Paul Magorrian took part in "army ambushes, barrack attacks and sniping from Bunkers Hill at police and army roadblocks along the Newcastle Road".

Local DUP Councillor Alan Lewis says Magorrian was a well known figure before his death.

"Around that stage there were a lot of Protestant shops and businesses being burnt out and had their windows broken," he said. "And every time it happened it was painted outside, 'Paul was here'.

The Sinn Fein constituency office in Castlewellan is controversially named after him.