Dia Duit! This is another one of my blogs that focus on (Northern) Ireland!

INTRODUCTION

Bloody Sunday was one of the worst attacks that happened during the troubles of Northern Ireland. It occurred in the city of Derry on Sunday, January 30th, 1972 (not to be confused with the Bloody Sunday of 1920 that occurred in Dublin), during a civil rights protest march. It was a massacre where the British soldiers shot 26 civilians who were all unarmed. 12 were killed and the rest were injured. Everyone who was shot at were Roman Catholics / Nationalists. Many of the victims were shot while fleeing from the soldiers, and some were shot while trying to help others.

WHY DID THE MARCH HAPPEN

During the troubles, there were large levels of violence. Because of this, internment without trial. This was known as operation Demitrius. This meant that many people were arrested and imprisoned without facing a trial. The people arrested were suspected members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). A total of 1,981 men were detained. The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) then hosted the anti-internment march, and the British army were present to arrest any rioters / anyone who caused violence.

THE AFTERMATH
As stated before, 14 people were shot and killed, one of which died 4 months later as a cause of the shooting. All eyewitnesses apart from the soldiers agreed that the soldiers shot into an unarmed crowd, people trying to flee and people helping the wounded. However, not a single soldier was wounded by guns or bombs. On February 2nd, there was a funeral for 11 of the victims, and thousands of people attended. In 1998, a soldier called Colonel Wilford stated that he was proud of his actions on Bloody Sunday.

THE VICTIMS
You can find a list of those who were both killed and injured here. Most of the dead weren't even adults, and most of which were aged 17, like Hugh Gilmore and Michael Kelly. The oldest victim was John Johnston, who was aged 59 years old. One of the deceased, named Patrick Doherty was murdered by a man called "Soldier F". The reason I am pointing Patrick out is that, during one of my trips to Derry, I got to experience a tour of the Derry murals. This tour was led by his Patrick's son, who was very young when his father died.

CONCLUSION
Bloody Sunday was a tragic massacre and the British army were completely in the wrong and their actions were unjust. This massacre was only one of the many horrible actions which occurred in the Troubles by both Catholics and Protestants. Despite the fact that many of the soldiers were prosecuted long after, it still cannot bring back the souls of those 14 men who died during Bloody Sunday, and the souls of over 3,500 people who died during and after the troubles.

PHOTOS


Bloody Sunday mural

Bishop Edward Daly (closest to the right of the light post) escorting a wounded man.

British soldiers.