Cookstown Incident

[armaghniac]

Shocking news. Condolences to the families. It's crazy to think how something like this can unfold. Doesn't look good for the people running the event that they initiallyseemed oblivious to what was going on outside.

Is a crush getting into a disco common? Hillsborough type events can create a rush because the game starts. creating sense of urgency. Crushes in discos are normally caused by a  fire or panic to leave the venue. What created a crush to get into a disco that was likely going to continue for 3 or 4 hours? Was there a big shower or something?

[Wildweasel74]

Very sad. I ringing to 1.30 last nite checking my niece wasn't out. The entrance to the disco end at the greenvale a very bad layout. Has been since they created a covered smoke area all those yrs ago. A lot of questions asked on BBC how many under age at it when it was over 18 but its been like that getting in to many a place in ni for years. Too many buses land at the same time. And not sure what measures if any they have outside to ensure crowd built up doesn't occur. Aftermath not change the sadness of what occurred.

[JimStynes]

Buses arriving at a venue can't be blamed, it's how they control the crowd outside.

[Wildweasel74]

I know for underage events there seems to be crowd control in place for most clubs, hotels etc. There many a place I been for adults where crowd measures are non existant

[Eamonnca1]

Shocking. My cousin's daughter was at it. She saw her friend undergoing resuscitation, but he didn't make it. It could easily have been her.

[Eamonnca1]

My cousin's daughter is mentioned in this account, her name is Morgan. Initially it was thought that she didn't make it, but she did. I hope it's okay to post this, but if for any reason anyone wants me to take it down, PM me.

Update: Seems like there was another person called Morgan involved, and they didn't make it.

It started with pushing and shoving but everyone was still laughing and having a good time. Then the literal crushing started.

The people on the outside of this line were so determined to get in they felt the need to not only push us against the wall but push with all their strength. No matter how much we screamed and pushed back, there was no movement.

Two of my friends fell to the ground. I tried to pull them up but at that point there was no room for them to even come back up. So I started screaming at the top of my lungs:
"My friends are on the ground, move back!"
"My friends have fainted, move back!"
"My friends can't breath, move back!"
- nothing. Not one bit of movement.

I could still see people laughing with no idea what was going on. At this point I thought my friends were going to die, I was standing up and I couldn't breath so I couldn't imagine how they felt. I was hysterically screaming for people to move but it was only the people around me who knew the seriousness.

With more and more pushing, I also fell. But the thing about me was that I wasn't on the ground, I was on top of someone, and this person was on top of someone else. As I looked down I could see multiple bodies underneath me and as I looked up I could see multiple bodies on top of me. It was the most traumatic, frightening and stressful moment of my life.

I was looking about for my friends and trying to keep my head up. As dramatic as it sounds, I closed my eyes for a little and accepted what was going to happen however, an elbow to my throat soon woke me up. People were scratching, biting and grabbing anything they could to pull themselves up to breath. I think that's what really shows the seriousness of it all, people were literally fighting for their lives.

It got to a point where even when I had my eyes open, I couldn't see. It felt like this went on forever but eventually I felt bodies being dragged over me and beside me. It wasn't the bouncers and it wasn't the police, it was the young people in the line who pulled me out.

My leg was caught underneath someone and my hair was caught somewhere else, my jeans were pulled down around my thighs and my jersey above my head but I was getting pulled out nonetheless. I lay on the ground and opened my eyes, I remember seeing some motionless legs, a few socks and shoes and then I was pulled up and brought away.

I rang my parents to explain what had happened and let them know I was okay, I then tried to find my friends. I ran about frantically. I seen a young boy lying motionless trying to be resuscitated by the ambulance crew and I seen his friends screech as they found out he wasn't going to make it.

I don't think I will ever experience more relief in my life than when I seen one of my friends that had fallen, I was shocked she was alive. We all eventually found each other apart from my other friend that had fallen. We heard people had seen him, that he was roughed up but he was okay, I needed to see him myself though. He then came running towards us sobbing and all we could do was hug him.

These 'people' aren't just 'people', they were young people, teenagers at 16/17 years old. They were only children.

It could've been anyone.

Unfortunately, a friend of mine who I had seen in the line and chatted to minutes beforehand has died. Morgan and the two other angels, just like the rest of us, left their families last night for an enjoyable night out but unlike the rest of us, they didn't make it home. My heart breaks for their poor families.

There is no sugar coating what happened last night. As it got serious, we banged the windows of the hotel and tried to get help. The people inside simply looked away. While this was happening the gates were still locked and the bouncers were no help. If it wasn't for the young people doing the right thing and ringing the police, the situation could've been so much worse.

The truth is, this could've been prevented.

I'm heartbroken.💔

[GJL]

Brutal and so avoidable. Very sad for the families and they will be very angry.

[Eamonnca1]

I wonder if this will signal the end of the era of the wink-and-nod when 16 year-olds get into 18+ events. I remember starting my nightlife career at 16, we used to think it was because we happened to look 18. In hindsight, in the places we went to I'd say nearly half were underage, and ID checks were rare, probably because they were happy to sell drink to all comers. Occasionally the bouncers would give us the "bring ID next time or you can't get in" speech, but they never followed up on it.

I wonder if it'll lead to a change in crowd control regulations for events like this. People don't always grasp how dangerous large crowds can be. It doesn't take many people to apply a lot of pressure that can be deadly for people at the front. It needs to be taken seriously. It's one of the reasons why I'm okay with the scrapping of the tradition of the Croke Park pitch invasion. I know it's nice to get on the field and all, but if it were allowed to continue for much longer it would have been a matter of time before something bad happened. "Health and safety" is often used a euphemism for overcautious killjoys, but there are real reasons why we have it.

[Wildweasel74]

There's a lot to be said for queues and proper on site management's. Ie like concerts. People trying to force there way into queues at any event doesn't help. Like I said. I Greenvale entrance to the disco end a terrible layout.

[J70]

My cousin's daughter is mentioned in this account, her name is Morgan. Initially it was thought that she didn't make it, but she did. I hope it's okay to post this, but if for any reason anyone wants me to take it down, PM me.

It started with pushing and shoving but everyone was still laughing and having a good time. Then the literal crushing started.

The people on the outside of this line were so determined to get in they felt the need to not only push us against the wall but push with all their strength. No matter how much we screamed and pushed back, there was no movement.

Two of my friends fell to the ground. I tried to pull them up but at that point there was no room for them to even come back up. So I started screaming at the top of my lungs:
"My friends are on the ground, move back!"
"My friends have fainted, move back!"
"My friends can't breath, move back!"
- nothing. Not one bit of movement.

I could still see people laughing with no idea what was going on. At this point I thought my friends were going to die, I was standing up and I couldn't breath so I couldn't imagine how they felt. I was hysterically screaming for people to move but it was only the people around me who knew the seriousness.

With more and more pushing, I also fell. But the thing about me was that I wasn't on the ground, I was on top of someone, and this person was on top of someone else. As I looked down I could see multiple bodies underneath me and as I looked up I could see multiple bodies on top of me. It was the most traumatic, frightening and stressful moment of my life.

I was looking about for my friends and trying to keep my head up. As dramatic as it sounds, I closed my eyes for a little and accepted what was going to happen however, an elbow to my throat soon woke me up. People were scratching, biting and grabbing anything they could to pull themselves up to breath. I think that's what really shows the seriousness of it all, people were literally fighting for their lives.

It got to a point where even when I had my eyes open, I couldn't see. It felt like this went on forever but eventually I felt bodies being dragged over me and beside me. It wasn't the bouncers and it wasn't the police, it was the young people in the line who pulled me out.

My leg was caught underneath someone and my hair was caught somewhere else, my jeans were pulled down around my thighs and my jersey above my head but I was getting pulled out nonetheless. I lay on the ground and opened my eyes, I remember seeing some motionless legs, a few socks and shoes and then I was pulled up and brought away.

I rang my parents to explain what had happened and let them know I was okay, I then tried to find my friends. I ran about frantically. I seen a young boy lying motionless trying to be resuscitated by the ambulance crew and I seen his friends screech as they found out he wasn't going to make it.

I don't think I will ever experience more relief in my life than when I seen one of my friends that had fallen, I was shocked she was alive. We all eventually found each other apart from my other friend that had fallen. We heard people had seen him, that he was roughed up but he was okay, I needed to see him myself though. He then came running towards us sobbing and all we could do was hug him.

These 'people' aren't just 'people', they were young people, teenagers at 16/17 years old. They were only children.

It could've been anyone.

Unfortunately, a friend of mine who I had seen in the line and chatted to minutes beforehand has died. Morgan and the two other angels, just like the rest of us, left their families last night for an enjoyable night out but unlike the rest of us, they didn't make it home. My heart breaks for their poor families.

There is no sugar coating what happened last night. As it got serious, we banged the windows of the hotel and tried to get help. The people inside simply looked away. While this was happening the gates were still locked and the bouncers were no help. If it wasn't for the young people doing the right thing and ringing the police, the situation could've been so much worse.

The truth is, this could've been prevented.

I'm heartbroken.💔

Jesus christ. 

People will be going to prison over this.

[SLIGONIAN]

RIP awful but why push forward to that extent in queues, ignoring the screams up the front to push back.

[Wildweasel74]

The BBC had the camera shot before the incident happened. The Since when is a queue 25 people wide by 50plus deep trying to get through a set of gates to the 1.8m wide. Where is the supervision to turn this crowd into a orderly Queue. A ziz zag type Set up such as concerts with on site supervision badly amiss. This hotel not the only place I seen this. I have I seen some bad build up at turnstiles at gaa games in the past.

[trailer]

Mickey McElhatton the owner is a good man. I appreciate that emotions are high and very very raw but it's important to let the police do their job.

[Tony Baloney]

Mickey McElhatton the owner is a good man. I appreciate that emotions are high and very very raw but it's important to let the police do their job.

Saw him earlier. Seems understandably cut up about it. Yes the peelers need to get to the bottom of it.

[whitey]

I'd say every person on here has been in a situation, that but for the grace of God, could have turned as deadly as last nights. People don't realize that every time you set foot in a stadium, pub, nightclub or function hall, danger can be lurking just around the corner. God Bless all those involved