I walked where they marched, I stood where they lay, and I cried where they died. Just 42 years ago there was chaos, guns, screaming, and death at that very spot. Our guides Gerry Doherty and Paul Doherty Our guides Gerry Doherty and Paul Doherty did an excellent job of telling us what went on in Derry through its history and on Bloody Sunday, something they know all too well.
15,000 men, women, and children marchers came together for a peaceful march for civil rights on that nice Sunday afternoon. That January 30th, 1972, is now known as Bloody Sunday. The Irish marchers gathered there that day to fight the internment without trial that was targeting the Irish in Northern Ireland.
At 3pm the marchers left Creggan Estate toward William Street where they planned to rally at the City Center. They didn’t know that the Royal Ulster Constabulary set up a barricade at lower William Street denying them access into the city. But it was ok, the group would go with the flow and turn right heading toward Free Derry Corner.
However, several hundred marchers, mostly teens, continued straight toward the barricade, toward the RUC and paramilitary and began rioting. The usual rocks and bottles from the Irish were met by rubber bullets, CS gas, and water cannons from the British.
At 3:55 pm paramilitary fired at the marchers killing John Johnston, Age 59, and Damian Donaghy, age 15. After the first shots were fired, things kept escalating. Seven others were shot trying to run away or help the injured. Jackie Duddy, age 17, was shot in the back as he was running away from the chaos.
A new wave of paramilitary came down Rossville street and open fired on the marchers running for safety at the rubble barricade. Hugh Gilmour, age 17, was shot right before he was able to make it to his home at Rossville Flats. Michael Kelly, age 17, Michael McDaid, age 20, John Young, age 17, and William Nash, age 19, were killed right around the barricade.
When the shots that killed those at the barricades went off, a group decided to head toward an alley in Glenfada Park. They didn’t know that the paramilitary followed them in there and shot dead four more men, William McKinney, age 27, Jim Wray, age 22, Gerald Donaghey, age 17, and Gerard McKinney, age 35.
Back at the Rossville Flats Patrick Doherty, age 31, was shot as he tried to crawl to safety. With a white hankerchief in hand as a sign on piece and good intentions Bernard McGuigan, age 41, was making his way to Patrick Doherty when he was shot with a dum dum bullet that exploded when it contacted his head. At 4:25 pm it was all over.
The 14 dead and 14 injured were referred to as gunmen and bombers by the British, and claimed they had been fired at. The only injury the paramilitary obtained that day was by one soldier who shot himself in the foot on accident. Three months later the British Law Lord decided the paramilitary had done nothing wrong that day, Bloody Sunday.
Remember our guides names? The Dohertys. Their father, Patrick Doherty was murdered that Sunday, when they were just kids.
After saying our goodbyes to Paul we entered the Museum of Free Derry and met John Kelly, brother of 17-year-old Michael Kelly. John drove his brother to the hospital that Sunday where his brother was pronounced dead.
15,000 men, women, and children marchers came together for a peaceful march for civil rights on that nice Sunday afternoon. That January 30th, 1972, is now known as Bloody Sunday. The Irish marchers gathered there that day to fight the internment without trial that was targeting the Irish in Northern Ireland.
At 3pm the marchers left Creggan Estate toward William Street where they planned to rally at the City Center. They didn’t know that the Royal Ulster Constabulary set up a barricade at lower William Street denying them access into the city. But it was ok, the group would go with the flow and turn right heading toward Free Derry Corner.
However, several hundred marchers, mostly teens, continued straight toward the barricade, toward the RUC and paramilitary and began rioting. The usual rocks and bottles from the Irish were met by rubber bullets, CS gas, and water cannons from the British.
At 3:55 pm paramilitary fired at the marchers killing John Johnston, Age 59, and Damian Donaghy, age 15. After the first shots were fired, things kept escalating. Seven others were shot trying to run away or help the injured. Jackie Duddy, age 17, was shot in the back as he was running away from the chaos.
A new wave of paramilitary came down Rossville street and open fired on the marchers running for safety at the rubble barricade. Hugh Gilmour, age 17, was shot right before he was able to make it to his home at Rossville Flats. Michael Kelly, age 17, Michael McDaid, age 20, John Young, age 17, and William Nash, age 19, were killed right around the barricade.
When the shots that killed those at the barricades went off, a group decided to head toward an alley in Glenfada Park. They didn’t know that the paramilitary followed them in there and shot dead four more men, William McKinney, age 27, Jim Wray, age 22, Gerald Donaghey, age 17, and Gerard McKinney, age 35.
Back at the Rossville Flats Patrick Doherty, age 31, was shot as he tried to crawl to safety. With a white hankerchief in hand as a sign on piece and good intentions Bernard McGuigan, age 41, was making his way to Patrick Doherty when he was shot with a dum dum bullet that exploded when it contacted his head. At 4:25 pm it was all over.
The 14 dead and 14 injured were referred to as gunmen and bombers by the British, and claimed they had been fired at. The only injury the paramilitary obtained that day was by one soldier who shot himself in the foot on accident. Three months later the British Law Lord decided the paramilitary had done nothing wrong that day, Bloody Sunday.
Remember our guides names? The Dohertys. Their father, Patrick Doherty was murdered that Sunday, when they were just kids.
After saying our goodbyes to Paul we entered the Museum of Free Derry and met John Kelly, brother of 17-year-old Michael Kelly. John drove his brother to the hospital that Sunday where his brother was pronounced dead.