'I can't carry hatred around for 50 years' - Miami showband member

A musician who survived the Miami Showband killings has said it does "no good to hate" those responsible for the attack.

Stephen Travers was a member of the band which was targeted by loyalist paramilitaries in a bomb and gun attack in July 1975.

Three band members were killed when their tour bus was ambushed near Newry.

"For me, to carry that kind of hatred around with me for 50 years, I wouldn't be strong enough to do that," Mr Travers said.

"I understand how circumstances, the environment and hatred plays a part in this.

"Of course it was wrong, and of course they had a choice, but it doesn't do no good to hate them."

The band was travelling home to Dublin after a gig in Banbridge when they were stopped by a fake Army patrol involving Ulster Defence Regiment and Ulster Volunteer Force members.

A bomb which was placed on the bus exploded prematurely, killing two of the attackers, Harris Boyle and Wesley Somerville.

The gang then opened fire, murdering singer Fran O'Toole, guitarist Tony Geraghty and trumpeter Brian McCoy.

Mr Travers and another band member, Des McAlea, were injured but survived.

Mr Travers told BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show the abiding memories of that night are temper, hatred and fear.

"It's there. I can hear it, smell it, listen to it all the time," he said.

Describing the events which occurred that night, Mr Travers said there was an "incredibly loud" bang.

He described being thrown into the air and falling through a hedge.

"I felt like I was in really slow motion and I could feel every single leaf, tree and branch," said Mr Travers.

"Then all of a sudden, I hit the ground very hard and instantly there were two other bodies that fell on top of me, that may well have been Tony or Fran."

Mr Travers said after some time had passed he tried to stand up but could not until he felt somebody putting their hands under his arms.

"It was Brian McCoy. Brian was trying to drag me away, he probably knew where the danger was, but I didn't," he said.

Mr Travers described how his bandmate was killed as he attempted to drag him to safety.

"I don't remember him being murdered, but I remember him being on the ground."

Mr Travers said if the attack had gone to plan and the bomb was successfully placed in the bus, they would have kept driving until it was scheduled to go off in Newry.

It is his belief that the plan was to frame the band members as "terrorists" which could lead to greater border security and curtailing the activities of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

"We would have been in the middle of Newry, and we would have gone down in history as terrorists."

Looking to the future, he said "legacy isn't about the past, legacy is about the future".

Survivors and relatives of those killed in the attack received close to £1.5m in damages after they sued the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

A concert is being held in Dublin later this year to mark 50 years since the attack.