Published Saturday, 03 December 2011
On Saturday night, families gathered on North Queen Street where the McGurk's bomb once stood.
Fifteen people, including pensioners and children, were killed and another 16 injured when the no-warning bomb ripped apart the north Belfast venue in December 1971.
The attack was carried out by the UVF, but had initially been wrongly presented by the RUC as an accidental 'own goal' by the IRA.
Philip Garry, 73, was the oldest person to be killed in the bombing. Grandson Robert McClenaghan said that the memorial was about "hope".
"I feel we're closer than ever to finding out the truth of what happened that night," he said.
"Forty years is a long fight for any campaign and tonight is about getting people renewed energy, heart and commitment to go on until we find out the truth, for all our families," he added.
North Belfast MLA Alban Maginness said the McGurk memorial was an opportunity to draw both sides of the local community together.
"This recognises the pain and suffering of people 40 years ago, and it is still there.
"It is important that this memorial should give people hope that out of the pain and suffering that something good can come and this community can finally be united, Catholic and Protestant."