Reavey's Brothers event to mark 50th anniversary

THE nephew of the Reavey brothers says that his uncles will always be remembered as the 50th anniversary of their murders approaches in January.

A night to remember John Martin, Brian and Anthony will take place at Silverbridge GAA.

A special host will present the Reavey Brothers 50th Anniversary Event, taking place at Silverbridge GAC, on Friday, January 9, 2026.

This night of remembrance will feature victim stories from those impacted locally, including brother Eugene Reavey, following the release of his book ‘The Killing of the Reavey Brothers.’ A screening of ‘Reavey Brothers’ (2022) will follow, paired with a Q&A from director and nephew of the brothers John Reavey. Paired alongside the cast, featuring Dylan Llewellyn (Derry Girls, Big Boys), Niall McNamee (Love Without Walls, One Night in Bath), Kevin Nugent (Armagh GAA Minor Champion) and Geraldine McAlinden (Verdigris, Our Father). The night will then be closed with live music and traditional Irish dancing from Aine Malone (former Lord of the Dance).

“Ultimately it a remembrance of 50 years of that tragic night but I know that there is a sense of pride of how the family and community are coming together to remember the boys,” said John Reavey.

“We really want to make this night feel like the boys are being spoken about and talked about.”

John is 27-years-old, he lives in London and makes content for the Premier League, having worked with West Ham’s account as well as some bands. He grew up in Whitecross, with his uncle’s being often spoken about but it was only when he went to school in St Paul’s High School Bessbrook, that he became more aware.

“Growing up the boys were always openly spoken about. Their pictures are all around my house and they have always been part of the family and so I was aware of their story from no age,” John said. I don’t ever remember learning about them; it was just something that I always knew.

“Growing up as a child of course I didn’t know much except that a tragedy happened and that was something my family definitely didn’t shy away from telling me.

“But it was only when I was at school and teachers or people we would me would ask me if I was related to the Reavey brothers. That’s when I started to understand that my uncles were known from outside my family, it was a story that people from outside the community knew as well.

“That was when I began to do my own research and I am thankful that my family made me aware of my uncles but it was never about religion or politics, it was a tragedy that happened. I have grown up making friends from all backgrounds and part of my family were victims.

“It is an interesting spot to be in and that is why I feel like I am in the perfect place to tell the story, from an almost unbiased view but who is also part of the family and who knows what they have went through.”

At only 22-years-old, John wrote and produced a short-film The Reavey Brothers, the powerful film, sold out venues in Ireland and the UK and was shown around the world to huge acclaim.

“I feel like a lot of people were aware of what happened in Belfast and Derry and Dublin, but nobody really talks about what happened in south Armagh and the murder triangle,” said John.

“Those are all stories that are living in different pockets of these communities and I am glad that we were able to show this to so much of Ireland and the UK because there are so many stories such as the Reavey Bros.

The feedback we got was good although that it could be longer, contain more detail and have more of a build-up. We always knew it was going to be difficult to cram into 20-minutes, so it would be great to make it longer someday.”

Eugene Reavey’s book has been read cover to cover several times in many homes. People thought they knew what happened but as John said even he was shocked by what he learned from the book.

“I am really proud of Eugene for writing the book. It took a lot of courage. It really opened my eyes to what happened a lot more,” said John.

“Eugene is my uncle, but we are from different generations and it is rare that I would have one-to-one conversations with him. But when I was reading the book it felt like I was having a conversation with him, it was as if he was speaking to me.

“I always had an enormous amount of respect for Eugene but that made me understand how much of a difficult time the family went through. As much research I do, I will never be able to understand how it was to be in that situation but the book is as close I have ever felt to being in Eugene’s shoes and really feeling the emotions, he went through.

“I think we always knew about the trauma endured but I didn’t understand the awful treatment the family endured afterwards and how severe it was.”

Tickets for the event will be sold as unreserved seating for £20 and can be purchased from 1pm on Sunday (November 30) at www.reaveybrothersfilm.com.

This special anniversary screening will mark the 20th public screening of the short film since its original release in 2022. The film previously sold out 19 cinema screenings in London, Dublin, Newry, Belfast and Derry - selling over 5,000 tickets.

All earnings made from previous screenings and from the event are to put forward to development funding for the feature film version of Reavey Brothers, which is currently being written by director John Reavey, with hopes to start seeking further investment in 2026.