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Bloody Sunday

Media Pack

June 2010

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IntroductionThe day now known as Bloody Sunday took place in the Bogside in Derry on 30 January 1972. Thirteen men and boys were shot dead and a further 15 wounded by British paratroopers during a civil rights march, one of whom died later of his injuries.

Background to the MarchOn 22 January, just days before Bloody Sunday, hundreds from Derry attended a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) march to Magilligan internment camp. Film of British paratroopers assaulting marchers on Magilligan beach further inflamed feeling. NICRA announced a Derry march for 30 January 1972.

The Stormont Government, now led by Brian Faulkner (who had introduced internment the previous August), demanded the British break Free Derry. The British Commander of Land Forces, General Robert Ford, wrote of a possible need to ‘shoot selected ringleaders’ of young Bogsiders.

On 28 January, a British cabinet committee approved security plans for the Derry march. On 29 January, an army/police statement warned that any violence the next day should be blamed on march organisers. Rioting in William Street ended with two teenagers wounded by army gunfire. The next morning, reports came of paratroopers arriving in Derry.

Bloody SundayFifteen thousand gathered in Creggan on 30 January 1972 to march against internment. The weather was crisp, bright. Reports circulated of barbed wire across all exits from the Bogside and of paratroopers behind the barriers. But the mood was set by satisfaction at the turn-out. The intended destination was the Guildhall in Derry’s city centre. Shortly after 3.00pm, the march began.

Information that both IRAs had promised to stay away encouraged confidence that the day would prove peaceful. The march included many family groups.

As they neared the city centre, the marchers found that the army had sealed off entrances to the Guildhall Square and so the majority of demonstrators were instead redirected towards Free Derry Corner. Some protestors lagged behind in William Street, where there was the usual confrontation with the soldiers. The army retaliated with rubber bullets, water cannon and CS gas, the nauseating effects of which forced many to seek refuge in the Bogside. General Ford observed the unfolding events from behind Barrier 14 in William Street.

At Free Derry Wall, a majority of the marchers waited to hear speakers including Bernadette Devlin MP and Lord Fenner Brockway. Then came the crack-crack of bullets from the William Street direction.

At 3.55pm, away from the riot in William Street, the British Army opened fire. John Johnston (59) and Damian Donaghy (15) were hit. John Johnston died from his injuries in June 1972.

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At 4.07pm, the British moved into Rossville Street, opening fire with live rounds.

Jackie Duddy (17), who had been running alongside local priest Fr Edward Daly, fell dying in the courtyard of the Rossville Flats, shot in the back.

Alana Burke (18) was crushed against a wall by an armoured vehicle.

Peggy Deery (31) was shot in the leg in Chamberlain Street. Patrick McDaid (25) was wounded after he helped carry her to safety.

Patrick Campbell (51) was wounded as he ran towards the Rossville Flats.

Michael Bradley (22) and Mickey Bridge (25) were wounded as they confronted the British Army after witnessing the death of Jackie Duddy.

Daniel McGowan (38) was wounded as he helped Patrick Campbell to safety.

Hugh Gilmour (17) was shot dead as he ran towards the Rossville Flats.

Michael Kelly (17), Michael McDaid (20), John Young (17) and William Nash (19) were killed at the rubble barricade in Rossville Street. William’s father, Alex Nash (51), was wounded as he went to his son’s aid.

Kevin McElhinney (17) was shot dead as he crawled towards the doorway of Rossville Flats.

In Glenfada Park:

Joseph Friel (22) was wounded.

Daniel Gillespie (32) was hit by a bullet on the head and fell unconscious.

Michael Quinn (17) was wounded by a bullet in the shoulder that exited through his face.

Joseph Mahon (16) was shot in the leg, feigning death as British soldiers approached.

William McKinney (27) was shot in the back and killed as he tried to help the wounded.

Patrick O’Donnell (41) was wounded as he threw himself across a woman to protect her from the gunfire.

Jim Wray (22) was on the ground, wounded and paralysed by the first burst of fire, when a paratrooper shot him in the back from point-blank range.

Gerald Donaghey (17) and Gerard McKinney (35) were shot dead in Abbey Park.

Patrick Doherty (31) was killed in Joseph Place as he crawled towards safety.

Bernard McGuigan (41), ignoring warnings for his own safety, waved a white handkerchief and tried to get to the dying Patrick Doherty. He was shot in the head and died instantly.

During the 20 minutes of concentrated British fire, the OIRA fired three ineffectual shots in response. (OIRA: Official IRA, one of the two republican organisations active at the time, the other being the Provisional IRA or PIRA.) The British Army labelled the victims gunmen and bombers; they claimed their soldiers had met a ‘fusillade of fire’. No soldier or vehicle was hit. Derry Coroner Hubert O’Neill later declared the killings ‘sheer, unadulterated murder’. The hundreds of civilian eyewitnesses agreed.

Background information taken from Museum of Free Derry, www.museumoffreederry.org.

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The Cover-Up Begins – General Jackson’s ‘Shot List’The cover-up began with a document written by General Mike Jackson on the evening of 30 January 1972. The document claimed that British soldiers shot at gunmen and bombers. General Jackson was adjutant, with (at that time) the rank of captain, of the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment on Bloody Sunday.

General Jackson was recalled to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry in October 2003 after a soldier found the handwritten ‘shot list’ by chance, left on an office photocopier, at the army’s 8th Brigade offices.

The list reads as follows:

Following engagements took place during gun battle from approx 16.17 to 16.35 hours:

1 Nail bomber shot. Hit in thigh (back of Chamberlain Street).2 Petrol bomber shot. Apparently killed (car park).3 Bomber (at top floor flats) shot. Apparently killed.4 Gunman with pistol behind barricade shot. Hit.5 Nail bomber (lighted fuse at car park) shot.6 Nail bomber at car park shot.7 Gunman with pistol fired two rounds at soldier armed only with baton gun at alleyway. Soldier fired one round and withdrew swiftly.8 Nail bomber (William Street) shot. Hit.9 Three nail bombers (at Glenfada Park) shot. All hit.10 Gunmen, pistols (at G Park) shot at. One hit, one unhurt.11 Sniper in toilet window. Fired upon. None hit.12 Gunman, rifle (at 3rd floor Rossville flats) shot at. Poss hurt.13 Gunman with rifle at (ground floor R flats) shot. Hit.14 Gunman, rifle (at barricade), shot. Killed. Body recovered.15 Gunman, rifle (at barricade), shot. Killed. Body recovered.

The Widgery ReportOn 1 February, British Prime Minister Edward Heath announced Lord Chief Justice Widgery was to conduct a public inquiry. He told Widgery that ‘we were . . . fighting not only a military war but a propaganda war’.

The Widgery Tribunal sat in Coleraine, County Derry, from 21 February 1972 until 20 March 1972. Widgery refused to take evidence from the vast majority of civilian eyewitnesses. Soldiers testified anonymously and in disguise. It later emerged that their statements were altered to suit the British version of events.

The Widgery Report was published 11 weeks after Bloody Sunday and ran to a mere 36 pages. Widgery exonerated the army, declaring that while ‘none of the dead or wounded is proved to have been shot whilst handling a firearm or bomb . . . there is a strong suspicion that some . . . had been firing weapons or handling bombs . . . others had been closely supporting them’.

For Free Derry, Widgery confirmed that the entire British establishment stood behind the Bloody Sunday killers.The British Army commander, Colonel Wilford, was awarded an OBE. His adjutant, Mike Jackson, later became chief of staff, Britain’s number one soldier.

The Bloody Sunday Justice CampaignIn 1989, the Bloody Sunday Initiative (BSI) was founded with responsibility to campaign for a proper inquiry.

The Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign (BSJC) was founded on the 20th anniversary to demand the repudiation of Widgery, the formal acknowledgement of the innocence of the victims and the prosecution of those responsible. The BSI became the Pat Finucane Centre in May 1993 to champion wider human rights issues. The Bloody Sunday Weekend Committee assumed responsibility for the annual commemoration march.

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On the 25th anniversary, 40,000 people marched in support of the continuing fight for truth and justice. In the same year, Bloody Sunday families handed in a 40,000-signature petition to Downing Street, where the people of Derry demanded that the issue of Bloody Sunday be reopened.

The relentless family-led BSJC forced the establishment, in 1998, of the new inquiry chaired by Lord Saville.

The Bloody Sunday InquiryEstablished in 1998, scheduled to report in 2007, the Bloody Sunday Inquiry has been the longest legal proceedings in British or Irish history.

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry was announced on 29 January 1998 by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Tribunal’s terms of reference were to inquire into ‘the events of Sunday, 30 January 1972 which led to loss of life in connection with the procession in Londonderry on that day, taking account of any new information relevant to events on that day’.

The Inquiry sat in the Guildhall, Derry, and Methodist Central Hall, London. Lord Saville held his first hearing at the Guildhall in Derry in April 1998. The Inquiry began its public hearings in March 2000. Counsel to the Inquiry gave a two-day closing speech beginning on 22 November 2004. One further witness was heard in January 2005.

Inquiry Judges

The Inquiry was chaired by the Right Honourable Lord Saville of Newdigate. The other Tribunal members were the Honourable William L Hoyt (formerly Chief Justice of New Brunswick, Canada) and the Honourable John L Toohey (former Justice of the High Court of Australia). The Right Honourable Sir Edward Somers from New Zealand was a member of the original panel but resigned for health reasons in August 2000.

Counsel to the InquiryChristopher Clarke QC, Alan Roxburgh, Cathryn McGahey and Bilal Rawat were Counsel to the Inquiry. Their primary role was to advise the Tribunal and assist the Inquiry by presenting the evidence to the Tribunal and questioning the witnesses on its behalf.

Hearings in LondonIn December 2001, the Court of Appeal ruled that the evidence of the military witnesses should not be taken in Derry on the grounds that they had reasonable fears for their safety. The Tribunal concluded that for this part of the evidence the Inquiry hearings should move to Central Hall, Westminster, for periods throughout 2002 and 2003. The Inquiry returned to the Guildhall, Derry, from October 2003 to hear the remaining oral evidence.

Inquiry WitnessesThe Inquiry interviewed and received statements from around 2,500 people and 922 of these were called to give oral evidence. The number of witnesses in each category was as follows:

• Civilians: 505• Experts and Forensic Scientists: 9• IRA activists or former IRA activists: 35• Media (including photographers): 49• Military: 245• Police – Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC): 33 • Politicians and civil servants (including intelligence officers): 39• Priests: 7

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AnonymityDuring the Inquiry, some military witnesses were granted anonymity for security reasons. The Tribunal ruled in October 1999 that all soldiers whose identity was not already clearly in the public domain would not be identified in the course of the Inquiry’s proceedings unless the Tribunal directed or ruled otherwise. This gave effect to the judgment of the Court of Appeal of 28 July 1999.

RUC and some other witnesses were ‘screened’ while giving their evidence. This meant they were only visible to the Tribunal, counsel and other legal representatives. Members of the public and media could hear the evidence being delivered but could not see the witness. It was up to the Tribunal to decide whether an application for screening would be granted. Although they were screened from view during hearings, the witness’ names were in the public domain. In one case, a television screen was screened.

Who was Present at the Hearings?The Tribunal, Counsel to the Inquiry, other Inquiry staff, the legal representatives of the interested parties and stenographers were present continuously. The media and the public were also welcome and attended. Most of the families were represented on a daily basis at the Inquiry and proceedings in both Derry and London were also video-linked to the Bloody Sunday Centre in Derry for interested parties.

Scale of InformationThe hearings of the Inquiry occupied 435 sitting days during which the Tribunal heard oral evidence on 367 days from 922 witnesses. The Tribunal received evidence in writing of a further 1,563 witnesses who were not called to give oral evidence. The bundles of statements, documents and photographs comprise about 160 volumes. It is estimated that these bundles contain 20 –30 million words. In addition, the bundles contain 121 audiotapes and 110 videotapes.

Costs of the Saville InquiryThe most recent estimate of the costs incurred by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry is £182 million. Of all the aspects of the Saville Inquiry to date, the issue of costs is the one which has excited most attention of the media and some politicians, not whether the soldiers committed murder or why it took so long for a proper inquiry to take place. The Bloody Sunday Trust (a community-based voluntary organisation established in 1997 to address the legacy of Bloody Sunday) has never sought to justify the costs of the Saville Inquiry. Ultimately, that is a matter between the British Government and Mark Saville. Clearly, the costs relate to the length of the Inquiry (12 years), the number of witnesses called (922) and the number of lawyers employed by the interested parties. The costs are proportionately no more than the other various inquiries carried out within the British legal system.

The Bloody Sunday Trust does, however, defend the right of the families of those killed, the wounded and those traumatised by the events of Bloody Sunday to have a proper, independent and full inquiry into the events, something they were denied until recently. It is important to remember that the Saville Inquiry represents the only full and detailed investigation into the events of Bloody Sunday. Despite the fact that 13 unarmed people were killed (six of whom were legally children) and 15 people wounded – not to mention the many forgotten casualties and the hundreds of people traumatised by the shootings and killings – there was no police inquiry, no ‘crime scenes’ identified and protected, and no forensic evidence gathered (other than the now discredited swabs done on the dead). There was no proper inquest, either, because the coroner was legally powerless to conduct a proper investigation. A proper police inquiry and an inquest would be taken for granted had 28 people been shot and killed or wounded in any other part of the United Kingdom, as recent events in Cumbria so tragically underline.

The Widgery Inquiry is now universally accepted as being the most flawed and incompetent inquiry conducted by a British judge in modern times. Widgery refused to accept the statements from hundreds of civilian witnesses. He accepted forensic evidence which was deeply flawed. He took the testimony given to him by the soldiers which had been doctored and massaged ahead of the Inquiry. He refused to listen to the recordings of the British

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Army’s radio communications. And, of course, he accepted the infamous steer by then British Prime Minister Edward Health concerning his findings. It is a simple, incontrovertible fact that had the police or the Widgery tribunal carried out a proper and full investigation in 1972, there would have been no need for another inquiry or any discussion about costs.

There were also real and very human costs associated with the failure of the Widgery Inquiry. Hundreds of young men and women joined the IRA as a direct result of what happened on Bloody Sunday and the subsequent tribunal. Many people died or were imprisoned because of the failings of Widgery. It strengthened the culture of impunity within the British Army and the RUC, permitting them to continue to commit gross human rights abuses in the knowledge they would not be held to account. It was a huge setback for those working for peace, human rights and political accommodation. It is a simple, incontrovertible fact that had the police or the Widgery tribunal carried out a proper and full investigation in 1972, there would be people alive today who are now dead.

Set The Truth FreeIt is the families’ belief that all the evidence presented to the Saville Inquiry leads to one simple conclusion: all those killed or wounded on Bloody Sunday are totally innocent. They also insist that those responsible for the killing and maiming of 28 people should be held to account for their actions.

‘Set The Truth Free’ was the slogan for the 2010 commemoration, and then became the title for the family-led campaign to try to force the British Government to publish the report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry as soon as possible and without any political interference.

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Bloody Sunday

FATALITIES

Barney McGuiganBarney McGuigan, a married family man and the father of six children, was 41 years old when he was killed on Bloody Sunday. Barney worked in the BSR factory and as a general handyman at Cedric’s factory on Carlisle Road. He had no real interest in politics but attended many of the early civil rights marches in the city. Barney was murdered as he went to aid the fatally injured Paddy Doherty.

Gerald DonagheyGerald Donaghey was just 17 years old and the youngest of three children when he was killed on Bloody Sunday. Gerald was orphaned at the age of 10 when his mother and father died within the space of four weeks. Gerald witnessed first-hand the creation of the civil rights movement in Derry and was involved in the civil unrest that was so common at the time. He was sentenced to six months for rioting in the Bogside and was released on Christmas Eve 1971. Gerald Donaghey was murdered as he tried to escape the paratroopers in Glenfada Park. After his death, he was acknowledged as a member of Na Fianna Éireann.

Gerard McKinneyGerard McKinney was 35 years old, a devoted husband to his wife Ita and father of eight children, the youngest of which, also called Gerard, was born eight days after his father’s murder. Other than his family, Gerry’s main interests were soccer and roller skating. He managed a junior soccer team and ran the Ritz roller skating rink on the Strand Road. Gerard worked in John McLaughlin’s on the Strand Road and had no particular interest in politics. He was murdered in Glenfada Park.

Hugh GilmourHugh Gilmour was just 17 years old when he was killed on Bloody Sunday. Hugh lived in the Rossville Flats and was the youngest of a family of eight and son of a former Derry City footballer. He had worked as a trainee tyre fitter in Northern Ireland Tyres in William Street. Living in Rossville Flats, Hugh found himself at the forefront of the civil unrest that swept the North in 1969, and he contributed to the defence of the Bogside in August 1969. He was also an avid Liverpool supporter, went to the pictures every Friday night with his friends and had just bought a car and was learning to drive. Hugh Gilmour was murdered just yards from the safety of Rossville Flats.

Jackie DuddyJackie Duddy was 17 years old when he was killed on Bloody Sunday. He was born at Springtown camp into a family of 15; the family later moved to Creggan. Jackie worked as a weaver at French’s factory, but his real passion was boxing. He was a member of Long Tower Boxing Club, which had fought throughout Ireland and represented the club in Liverpool. Jackie had no interest in politics and attended the march just for the ‘craic’ and against his father’s advice. He was the first person murdered on Bloody Sunday as he ran through Rossville car park, Fr Daly running at his side.

Jim WrayJim Wray was 22 years old when he was killed on Bloody Sunday. He was the second oldest in a family of nine and had worked in England for some time, becoming engaged to an Israeli girl he had met there. Outgoing by nature, Jim went to the Castle Bar on a Friday night and the Embassy dance hall on a Saturday. Jim attended the civil rights marches in Derry and the entire family had gone to the march on 30 January after attending Mass together. Jim was shot and wounded in Glenfada Park before being executed as he lay on the ground, unable to move.

John JohnstonJohn Johnston was 59 years old and had worked as a draper all his life. He was well dressed and quiet by nature and had been a keen supporter of the civil rights movement, attending as many marches as he could. His other passion was golf; he was a member of Lisfannon Golf Club and once won the captain’s prize, a cherished possession. John Johnston was hit by the first shots fired in William Street on Bloody Sunday and died five months later from his injuries.

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John YoungJohn Young was 17 years old at the time of Bloody Sunday. He was born at Springtown Camp, the youngest of a family of six, and worked in John Temple’s menswear shop. John had a passion for showbands and roadied for The Scene showband. In 1971, he witnessed the murder of Annette McGavigan by the British Army in Derry. He was murdered as he sought safety at the rubble barricade on Rossville Street.

Kevin McElhinneyKevin McElhinney was 17 years old and the middle child in a family of five. He had a keen interest in athletics and soccer and worked at Lipton’s supermarket from the time he left school, never missing a day. Kevin helped look after his home for six months as his mother recovered from a heart attack. He regularly attended dances but didn’t smoke or drink and was learning to drive in the hope of getting a car. Kevin’s real passion was music, especially T-Rex. Kevin was murdered as he sought shelter at the rubble barricade in Rossville Street.

Michael KellyMichael Kelly was 17 years old and the seventh child in a family of 13. He had been training to be a sewing machine mechanic and spent his weeks in Belfast, returning to Derry at the weekends. Michael had a very sweet tooth and was a keen pigeon fancier. At the age of three, he had been in a coma for weeks and his family was told not to expect him to recover. Michael had no interest in politics and the Bloody Sunday march was the first he had ever attended. He was murdered at the rubble barricade in Rossville Street.

Michael McDaidMichael McDaid was 20 years old and lived in Tyrconnell Street, the second youngest of a family of 12. He worked as a barman in the Celtic Bar and was an affectionate young man, very close to his parents and especially close to his young nephews, regularly taking his family on runs to Donegal on Sundays. Michael was murdered at the rubble barricade on Rossville Street.

Patrick DohertyPatrick Doherty was 31 years old, married to Eileen and father of six children between 11 years and seven months. He worked in Du Pont. A strong supporter of the civil rights movement, Paddy was an active member of the association and attended all the protests in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had also been at Magilligan the week before Bloody Sunday and witnessed the brutality of the Paratroop Regiment. He was murdered as he tried to crawl to safety in the shadow of Rossville Flats.

William McKinneyWilliam McKinney was 26 years old and the oldest in a family of 10. Willie worked as a compositor with the Derry Journal. Quiet by nature, he was nicknamed ‘the professor’ by his family. He was interested in music, particularly Irish music and Jim Reeves, and he also played the accordion. However, his true passion was photography and, having got a film camera one Christmas, he often screened cartoons for his younger brothers and sisters. At the time of his death, Willie was going steady and had just passed his driving test. He supported the civil rights campaign and had been at Magilligan the week before Bloody Sunday. He was murdered in Glenfada Park.

William NashWilliam Nash was 19 years old and the seventh child in a family of 13. He worked with his father on Derry docks and loved Country and Western music. William had just celebrated his brother Charlie’s success at the National Boxing Championships in Dublin and the marriage of his brother James. He was murdered at the rubble barricade in Rossville Street.

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WOUNDED

Mickey Bridge was 25 years old at the time of Bloody Sunday. He was shot in the courtyard of the Rossville Flats when he confronted soldiers after the murder of Jackie Duddy.

Alana Burke was 18 years old and was one of only two women injured on Bloody Sunday. Alana was crushed by an armoured personnel carrier in the courtyard of the Rossville Flats.

Damian Donaghy was the first person shot on Bloody Sunday, aged just 15 years. He had just left school and started his apprenticeship as a plumber.

Patsy McDaid was 25 years old at the time of Bloody Sunday. He helped carry Peggy Deery to safety before being shot himself.

Joe Mahon had just turned 16 in the weeks before Bloody Sunday. Joe was trapped in Glenfada Park as the shooting began and was subsequently shot. As paratroopers approached, he feigned death after witnessing the execution of Jim Wray.

Peggy Deery (deceased) was the only woman shot on Bloody Sunday. She was 38 years old and the mother of 14 children. Her husband had died just four months before Bloody Sunday.

Michael Bradley (deceased) was 22 years old when he was shot in the courtyard of the Rossville Flats after seeing the murder of Jackie Duddy.

Alexander Nash (deceased) was 51 years old when he was shot on Rossville Street as he attempted to go to the aid of his son William, who was murdered that day.

Patrick Campbell (deceased) was 51 years old and married with a family. He was shot as he sought shelter in Joseph Place.

Daniel McGowan (deceased) was 38 years old and married with six children. He had not attended the civil rights march in January 1972 and was shot while carrying the wounded Patrick Campbell to safety.

Daniel Gillespie (deceased) was 32 years old and married with a young family. He was wounded in Glenfada Park and lay unconscious as the shooting continued.

Patrick O’Donnell (deceased) was a 41-year-old family man at the time of Bloody Sunday and was shot and wounded in Glenfada Park. Despite his injuries, he was arrested and ill-treated before being released to seek medical attention.

Joseph Friel was 26 years old and at Free Derry Corner when the shooting began on Bloody Sunday. He was trying to make his way home to Rossville Flats when he was shot in Glenfada Park.

Michael Quinn was 17 years old and still at school when he was shot on Bloody Sunday. He had become trapped in Glenfada Park and was shot as he tried to escape the paratroopers’ advance.

FAMILY SUPPORT CENTRE

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Press Officer: Julieann Campbell

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Bloody Sunday

USEFUL WEB SITES

http://www.setthetruthfree.org

http://www.bloodysundaytrust.org

http://www.museumoffreederry.org

http://www.sitesofconscience.org

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/events/bsunday

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk

http://www.birw.org

http://www.bloody-sunday-inquiry.org

http://www.patfinucanecentre.org