Families of victims from the 1978 La Mon House Hotel bombing continue their campaign for justice 48 years after the IRA attack that killed 12 people and injured dozens.

The incident occurred on February 17, 1978, at the hotel in the Castlereagh Hills near Comber, County Down. IRA members from west Belfast and the Markets area transported incendiary bombs to the site during a function hosted by the Irish Collie Club. The devices, placed on windowsills, detonated after an inadequate telephone warning, causing a fireball in the function room.

A Police Ombudsman report published in 2024 found no evidence of security force collusion but identified failings in the Royal Ulster Constabulary investigation, including missing files and evidence. Families expressed disappointment over limited access to intelligence material for security reasons.

The families have applied to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, established under the Legacy Act, to investigate the case. The commission has not yet decided whether to take it on.

Concerns persist about the Republic of Ireland's failure to assist the Ombudsman investigation and its role as a haven for suspects. Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows recently called for a government apology over the failure to extradite IRA suspects who fled south.

Belfast man Robert Murphy is the only person convicted in connection with the attack; he received 12 life sentences for manslaughter. Dozens of others were interviewed but not prosecuted.

An IRA member who admitted involvement in 2023 stated the bombers got lost, delaying the warning call to under five minutes before detonation. The IRA apologised, conducted an internal inquiry, and expelled some members.