The tragic events of Bloody Sunday have been at the heart of Northern Ireland's cultural memory for almost 40 years, but what exactly happened that day and why is Bloody Sunday still such a controversial topic?
A Civil Rights Protest
Bloody Sunday began with a civil rights march by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.
In the early 1970s Derry was a deeply divided city where the local Catholic population were targets of prejudice and social injustice. Throughout January of 1972 they had clashed on numerous occasions with the British Army and the tensions continued to rise.
The British Government Introduce Internment
The civil rights protest in Derry was not just focused on the Catholic struggle but also the newly-introduced Internment policy. This policy allowed the British government to arrest and imprison those suspected paramilitary activities without a fair trial. Many relatives and friends of the interned joined the march of January 30th 1972.
2:50 pm: The March Begins
The authorities were anxious to avoid any riots, clashes or damages and so had the security forces build numerous barricades to contain the march to the nationalist part of the city. This also meant that the original plan to march to the Guildhall had to be changed at the last minute.
There were several thousand people marching that day (the exact figure remains a source of controversy) and they set out in a peaceful manner to Free Derry Corner.
3:45 pm: Problems At The Barricade
The majoriy of the protesters obeyed the barricades but one group broke away and began to cause trouble. They threw stones at the soldiers and the Army responded with tear gas and a water cannon. This 'riot' was not considered to be a major problem and did not hinder the progress of the march.
3:55 pm: The First Casualties
Away from the riot and the march, British soldiers in a derelict building in William Street opened fire and injured two men, Damien Donaghy and John Johnston. They were taken to hospital where Johnston died several months later on the 16th June 1972).
4:05 pm: Meeting on Free Derry Corner
By this time most of the protesters had reached the Free Derry Corner and were attended a meeting. British soldiers, with many from the 1st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, had requested permission to begin an arrest operation.
4:07 pm: Bloody Sunday Begins
A sub-unit of the Parachute Regiment, under the command of Major Ted Loden, were given permission to arrest any remaining rioters in William Street.
4:10 pm: The British Open Fire
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, opened fire on the crowd near the Rossville Road Flats. The gun fire last approximately 30 minutes and ended with the deaths of 13 people. A further 14 people were injured, one of whom suffered fatal wounds. All of the victims were Catholic civilians.
An IRA Sniper?
The possibility of an IRA sniper has been a major source of controversy in the history of Bloody Sunday. On the day, the British Army command centre had been told of an IRA sniper lurking in the area but this has never been confirmed.
The British Response
The official account of the days events given by the Army stated that they were responding to nail bombs and sustained gun fire from the IRA, and that they only fired at people in possession of weapons. However, not a single British soldier was injured and no bullets or nail bombs were ever recovered. In addition, none of the injured or dead had been found in possession of a weapon or firearm.
21 soldiers from the Parachute Regiment had fired their weapons that day, shooting a total of 108 rounds.
Official Inquiries into Bloody Sunday
There have been two official investigations into the events of that fateful day:
- Lord Widgery Tribunal: this was set up 11 weeks after Bloody Sunday but was condemned by many as a "whitewash".
- The Saville Inquiry: began in 1998 and is due to be published on the 15th June 2010.
References:
Coogan, Tim Pat. (1995) The Troubles: Ireland's Ordeal, 1966-1996, and the Search For Peace. (London: Palgrave).
English, Richard. (2003) Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA. Ocford: Oxford University Press.
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