Eight people were killed by the UFF in the Rising Sun bar on the evening of October 30, 1993. The atrocity was part of a renewed spiral of violence in the wake of the Shankill bomb a week earlier.

Mrs Long said it was one of the most horrific periods of the Troubles.

“As the anniversary approaches, my thoughts are with the families of those killed in this atrocity, the survivors and everyone else affected by it,” she said.

“Greysteel is a small, close knit community which was devastated by the events of that night. To face that kind of unimaginable tragedy and yet remain strong and dignified is a courage few possess.

That week of the Troubles remains seared in the memories of those who experienced it as one of the worst periods in all the many experiences of violence we lived through. What also remains with me is the overwhelming revulsion of people from across the community at these appalling acts of violence and the desire for peace. That public desire helped drive the journey to the Good Friday Agreement five years later.”

Limavady Alliance Councillor Amy Mairs said thankfully her generation had not experienced the Troubles due to those who worked hard for peace after Greysteel and other atrocities.

“For someone my age, it’s difficult to imagine the seemingly daily killings, the constant fear throughout society and the waves of grief and sorrow visited on communities like Greysteel after such events.

“It makes it more important than ever to remember the price of violence and ensure we do not allow those who would wish to drag us back to the dark days to succeed. It is more vital than ever we work to rid our community of hatred and division which led to massacres such as Greysteel, and instead be inspired by the courage, dignity and grace displayed by the victims’ loved ones.”