Five men murdered at Tullyvallen Orange Hall near Newtownhamilton have been remembered as Loyal Order leaders marked the ninth annual Orange Victims Day. The date of the commemoration reflects the anniversary of the attack in south Armagh, where five members were killed on 1 September 1975.
The annual event took place at the Museum of Orange Heritage at Schomberg House in Belfast on 1 September 2026. It commemorated 344 members of the Orange Order murdered during the Troubles and brought together representatives of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Junior Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland, Apprentice Boys of Derry, Royal Black Institution, Royal Arch Purple Chapter and the Independent Loyal Orange Institution.
Five killed at Tullyvallen meeting
Tullyvallen Orange Hall was the scene of the largest loss of life inflicted on the Orange Order in a single incident during the IRA campaign. The attack happened during one of the lodge’s monthly meetings, when two gunmen entered the hall and shot everyone in sight.
The men killed were lodge secretary Nevin McConnell, lodge chaplain John Johnston, William Herron, and father and son James and Ronnie McKee. They were members of Tullyvallen Guiding Star Temperance LOL 630.
The hall is based near Newtownhamilton in County Armagh, linking the Belfast remembrance service to a tragedy that continues to affect families and the local south Armagh community.
Wreaths laid in Belfast
Leaders of the Loyal Orders laid wreaths at the Memorial Window at Schomberg House, while a remembrance service was conducted by Grand Chaplain Rev Dr Ron Johnstone.
Grand Master Harold Henning said the Orange Institution remained committed to remembering its murdered members and preserving what he described as the legacy of the Troubles.
“The Orange Institution is committed to ensuring the murder of our members is never forgotten and that the legacy of the period known as the Troubles is not rewritten to suit the narrative of those who inflicted so much suffering and pain on our community.”
SEFF Victims and Survivors also marked the anniversary in a social media post, saying it remembered everyone affected by the Tullyvallen massacre. The organisation described the attack as a premeditated act intended to drive the minority Protestant community out of the area.
“On this Orange Victims Day SEFF remembers all those impacted by the Tullyvallen Orange Hall massacre which occurred 51 years ago today on September 1 1975.”
The Ulster Unionist Party said each of the 344 names represented a family, lodge and community left to live with the loss, adding that many victims had been serving in the security forces while others were targeted because of their identity and community.
The Belfast service was attended by the leaders of the Loyal Orders, with the remembrance focused both on the wider list of victims and the five men killed at Tullyvallen.
