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On Bloody Sunday: A New History Of The Day And Its Aftermath – By The People Who Were There
The first ever complete oral history of one of the darkest episodes in modern Irish history
***
In January 1972, a peaceful civil rights march in Northern Ireland ended in bloodshed. Troops from Britain's 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment opened fire on marchers, leaving 13 dead and 15 wounded. Seven of those killed were teenage boys. The day became known as 'Bloody Sunday'.
The events occurred in broad daylight and in the full glare of the press. Within hours, the British military informed the world that they had won an 'IRA gun battle'. This became the official narrative for decades until a family-led campaign instigated one of the most complex inquiries in history.
In 2010, the victims of Bloody Sunday were fully exonerated when Lord Saville found that the majority of the victims were either shot in the back as they ran away or were helping someone in need. The report made headlines all over the world.
While many buried the trauma of that day, historian and campaigner Juliann Campbell - whose teenage uncle was the first to be killed that day - felt the need to keep recording these interviews, and collecting rare and unpublished accounts, aware of just how precious they were. Fifty years on, in this book, survivors, relatives, eyewitnesses and politicians, shine a light on the events of Bloody Sunday, together, for the first time.
As they tell their stories, the tension, confusion and anger build with an awful power. ON BLOODY SUNDAY unfolds before us an extraordinary human drama, as we experience one of the darkest moments in modern history - and witness the true human cost of conflict.
***
In January 1972, a peaceful civil rights march in Northern Ireland ended in bloodshed. Troops from Britain's 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment opened fire on marchers, leaving 13 dead and 15 wounded. Seven of those killed were teenage boys. The day became known as 'Bloody Sunday'.
The events occurred in broad daylight and in the full glare of the press. Within hours, the British military informed the world that they had won an 'IRA gun battle'. This became the official narrative for decades until a family-led campaign instigated one of the most complex inquiries in history.
In 2010, the victims of Bloody Sunday were fully exonerated when Lord Saville found that the majority of the victims were either shot in the back as they ran away or were helping someone in need. The report made headlines all over the world.
While many buried the trauma of that day, historian and campaigner Juliann Campbell - whose teenage uncle was the first to be killed that day - felt the need to keep recording these interviews, and collecting rare and unpublished accounts, aware of just how precious they were. Fifty years on, in this book, survivors, relatives, eyewitnesses and politicians, shine a light on the events of Bloody Sunday, together, for the first time.
As they tell their stories, the tension, confusion and anger build with an awful power. ON BLOODY SUNDAY unfolds before us an extraordinary human drama, as we experience one of the darkest moments in modern history - and witness the true human cost of conflict.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 18, 2022
93 people are currently reading
1178 people want to read
About the author
Julieann Campbell
8 books18 followersJulieann Campbell was born in 1976 and lives in Derry, Northern Ireland, with her five-year-old daughter Saffron.
A former reporter for the Derry Journal, Julieann’s poetry has been widely published and she won 1st place for a collection in Ireland’s 2008 Charles Macklin Poetry Competition.
In June 2015, Julieann launched her debut solo collection of poetry, 'Milk Teeth', with the city’s premier publishing house, Guildhall Press.
Fuelled by a family link, Julieann has worked alongside the Bloody Sunday Trust on various projects. In 2008, she co-edited 'Harrowing of the Heart: The Poetry of Bloody Sunday' (Guildhall Press), which contained previously unseen local work alongside that of Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel, John Lennon and Paul Muldoon, as well as contributing to 'City of Music: Derry’s Music Heritage' and 'Wonderful World of Worders', both by Guildhall Press.
In 2010, a role as Press Officer to Derry’s Bloody Sunday families and survivors led to the commission of Julieann's first non-fiction book,'Setting the Truth Free: The Inside Story of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign' (Liberties Press, Dublin). The book was launched in Derry, Dublin and London in 2012 and won the prestigious 2013 Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize – a biannual literary prize which seeks to promote peace and reconciliation in Ireland and a greater understanding between the peoples of Britain and Ireland. Julieann is currently Chair of the Bloody Sunday Trust – the first female to hold the role.
A member of Derry Writers’ Group, Julieann is also a facilitator of oral history and is currently writing the educational graphic novel 'We Shall Overcome' for the Museum of Free Derry.
She also loves late nights, old movies and all the little things that make life shine....
A former reporter for the Derry Journal, Julieann’s poetry has been widely published and she won 1st place for a collection in Ireland’s 2008 Charles Macklin Poetry Competition.
In June 2015, Julieann launched her debut solo collection of poetry, 'Milk Teeth', with the city’s premier publishing house, Guildhall Press.
Fuelled by a family link, Julieann has worked alongside the Bloody Sunday Trust on various projects. In 2008, she co-edited 'Harrowing of the Heart: The Poetry of Bloody Sunday' (Guildhall Press), which contained previously unseen local work alongside that of Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel, John Lennon and Paul Muldoon, as well as contributing to 'City of Music: Derry’s Music Heritage' and 'Wonderful World of Worders', both by Guildhall Press.
In 2010, a role as Press Officer to Derry’s Bloody Sunday families and survivors led to the commission of Julieann's first non-fiction book,'Setting the Truth Free: The Inside Story of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign' (Liberties Press, Dublin). The book was launched in Derry, Dublin and London in 2012 and won the prestigious 2013 Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize – a biannual literary prize which seeks to promote peace and reconciliation in Ireland and a greater understanding between the peoples of Britain and Ireland. Julieann is currently Chair of the Bloody Sunday Trust – the first female to hold the role.
A member of Derry Writers’ Group, Julieann is also a facilitator of oral history and is currently writing the educational graphic novel 'We Shall Overcome' for the Museum of Free Derry.
She also loves late nights, old movies and all the little things that make life shine....
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
January 31, 2023
This book written for the 50th anniversary of the tragedy of Bloody Sunday in Derry, Northern Ireland. I thought that I knew a lot about this terrible incident in the Northern Irish Troubles, but this book reminded me of details I had forgotten and taught me many I had not ever learned. The story is effectively told through narratives of those who were there.
Recommended as a must read for those interested in the history of the Troubles.
Recommended as a must read for those interested in the history of the Troubles.
March 12, 2022
A difficult book for me to read having served in the British Army in Derry and having lost friends and colleagues to the IRA in terrorist attacks, saying that I am not blinkered to the mistakes and horrors committed by other units, this is an emotional book on all levels and I understand the frustration and grief of loss that goes unpunished but that punishment needs to meted out to all parties involved in the awful crimes committed in these years of misery
January 28, 2022
In January 1972, a peaceful civil rights march in Northern Ireland ended in bloodshed. Troops from Britain's 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment opened fire on marchers, leaving 13 dead and 15 wounded. Seven of those killed were teenage boys. The day became known as 'Bloody Sunday'.
The events occurred in broad daylight and in the full glare of the press. Within hours, the British military informed the world that they had won an 'IRA gun battle'. This became the official narrative for decades until a family-led campaign instigated one of the most complex inquiries in history.
In 2010, the victims of Bloody Sunday were fully exonerated when Lord Saville found that the majority of the victims were either shot in the back as they ran away or were helping someone in need. The report made headlines all over the world.
While many buried the trauma of that day, historian and campaigner Juliann Campbell - whose teenage uncle was the first to be killed that day - felt the need to keep recording these interviews, and collecting rare and unpublished accounts, aware of just how precious they were. Fifty years on, in this book, survivors, relatives, eyewitnesses and politicians, shine a light on the events of Bloody Sunday, together, for the first time.
As they tell their stories, the tension, confusion and anger build with an awful power. ON BLOODY SUNDAY unfolds before us an extraordinary human drama, as we experience one of the darkest moments in modern history - and witness the true human cost of conflict.
It’s a hard read surely. I cried all the way through,but that said in all that I know, all that I remember throughout the years, all that I have been taught, all that I have heard first hand, never have I read anything that pulled me back 50 years in time to that day than this. Its without a doubt the best account I’ve ever read of Bloody Sunday and the troubles. It not only provides a hugely detailed, visceral and personal account from the people who were there, those who fought for justice and those that were murdered and injured, but it screams of the spirit, humour and dignity and of course the pain of the people of Derry. Genuinely floored by this book. It’s a must read.
The events occurred in broad daylight and in the full glare of the press. Within hours, the British military informed the world that they had won an 'IRA gun battle'. This became the official narrative for decades until a family-led campaign instigated one of the most complex inquiries in history.
In 2010, the victims of Bloody Sunday were fully exonerated when Lord Saville found that the majority of the victims were either shot in the back as they ran away or were helping someone in need. The report made headlines all over the world.
While many buried the trauma of that day, historian and campaigner Juliann Campbell - whose teenage uncle was the first to be killed that day - felt the need to keep recording these interviews, and collecting rare and unpublished accounts, aware of just how precious they were. Fifty years on, in this book, survivors, relatives, eyewitnesses and politicians, shine a light on the events of Bloody Sunday, together, for the first time.
As they tell their stories, the tension, confusion and anger build with an awful power. ON BLOODY SUNDAY unfolds before us an extraordinary human drama, as we experience one of the darkest moments in modern history - and witness the true human cost of conflict.
It’s a hard read surely. I cried all the way through,but that said in all that I know, all that I remember throughout the years, all that I have been taught, all that I have heard first hand, never have I read anything that pulled me back 50 years in time to that day than this. Its without a doubt the best account I’ve ever read of Bloody Sunday and the troubles. It not only provides a hugely detailed, visceral and personal account from the people who were there, those who fought for justice and those that were murdered and injured, but it screams of the spirit, humour and dignity and of course the pain of the people of Derry. Genuinely floored by this book. It’s a must read.
September 16, 2025
Honestly a harrowing book on a horrific historical event. My eyes were opened to the atrocities committed that day.
July 21, 2022
This book made me cry and scream in frustration more time than I can count. As someone who does not live in NI nor have familial connections to Bloody Sunday; this book really touched me. The depth in which Campbell goes to in exploring how every family felt at the time and the frustration the inquiry caused which led to an exoneration, is second to none. If you only ever read one book about Bloody Sunday, make sure it’s this one
February 26, 2022
A detailed and heartfelt book on one of the darkest moments in modern history. Fifty years later, survivors, eyewitnesses, and family members shine a light on the painful events of Bloody Sunday.
It’s definitely a hard read; both frustrating and heartbreaking, but so important.
It’s definitely a hard read; both frustrating and heartbreaking, but so important.
February 20, 2023
There is a misguided sense we are taught as children, and that I guess some carry into adulthood, that justice prevails. Any illusion that you have of this will be utterly shattered by this book.
Collated for the fiftieth anniversary of the events of Bloody Sunday, author Julieann Campell, herself the niece of Bloody Sunday victim Jackie Duddy, creates a gripping oral history. The lead in, the event and its aftermath are harrowingly recounted by witnesses, the rage, despair, fury and grief all simmering viciously on the surface as vividly now as it did then. The fight for equality and civil rights quashed by instinctive colonial objectives and oppression that only escalated into further violence and trauma in a time that history knows as 'the troubles'.
There is an ache that lodges in ones being when reading this. That the instigators of such injustice will never face any consequences for their actions. That others suffered and continue to suffer because of this action and denial of responsibility.
Collated for the fiftieth anniversary of the events of Bloody Sunday, author Julieann Campell, herself the niece of Bloody Sunday victim Jackie Duddy, creates a gripping oral history. The lead in, the event and its aftermath are harrowingly recounted by witnesses, the rage, despair, fury and grief all simmering viciously on the surface as vividly now as it did then. The fight for equality and civil rights quashed by instinctive colonial objectives and oppression that only escalated into further violence and trauma in a time that history knows as 'the troubles'.
There is an ache that lodges in ones being when reading this. That the instigators of such injustice will never face any consequences for their actions. That others suffered and continue to suffer because of this action and denial of responsibility.
May 5, 2022
A powerful account of one of the most heinous acts by the British state. Not only heinous in the event itself, but heinous in the decades-long aftermath. This book brings to life the voices of people who were there and who were affected. Juliann Campbell, a relative of 17-year-old Jacky Duddy who was the first person to die that day, brings a respectful curation and sharp clarity to the page. I was moved to tears often. I was aghast often at what she uncovers. I was reminded of the many voices before her who spoke the truth while the UK system lied. A must-read.
July 25, 2023
This deserves 6 stars. What an important historical piece of work. It made me angry it made me sad. Brilliant
November 19, 2025
Heartbreaking read. This book masterfully collates many primary sources taking you through the build up to Bloody Sunday, the day itself, the immediate aftermath and the years that followed and is very much a must read. Using so many first hand accounts and perspectives of events over the years was incredibly effective at pushing forward the devastating impacts on the families of the victims, the wounded and witnesses. The families perseverance in fighting for justice and to clear their loved one’s names is an inspiration in a strength rarely found.
On the 30th January 1972 British soldiers opened fire on a peaceful protest in Derry and murdered 14 innocent, unarmed civilians in cold blood for the world to see. The murdered and wounded were shot in the back as they ran away, shot as they crawled on their stomachs, shot as they already lay on the floor bleeding, shot as they came to the aid of those already hit, shot for no reason other than they were Irish Catholics. This tragic day and the decades of cover ups and lies that followed it epitomise the reign of terror that Britain unleashed on Catholics in the north of Ireland. This continues to this day with the refusal to imprison a single solider for their monstrous crimes on Bloody Sunday or any other murder committed during the troubles.
Paddy Doherty (31). Gerald Donaghey (17). Jackie Duddy (17). Hugh Gilmour (17). Michael Kelly (17). Michael McDaid (20). Kevin McElhinney (17). Barney McGuigan (41). Gerald McKinney (35). William McKinney (26). William Nash (19). Jim Wray (22). John Young (17). John Johnston (59).
Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.
On the 30th January 1972 British soldiers opened fire on a peaceful protest in Derry and murdered 14 innocent, unarmed civilians in cold blood for the world to see. The murdered and wounded were shot in the back as they ran away, shot as they crawled on their stomachs, shot as they already lay on the floor bleeding, shot as they came to the aid of those already hit, shot for no reason other than they were Irish Catholics. This tragic day and the decades of cover ups and lies that followed it epitomise the reign of terror that Britain unleashed on Catholics in the north of Ireland. This continues to this day with the refusal to imprison a single solider for their monstrous crimes on Bloody Sunday or any other murder committed during the troubles.
Paddy Doherty (31). Gerald Donaghey (17). Jackie Duddy (17). Hugh Gilmour (17). Michael Kelly (17). Michael McDaid (20). Kevin McElhinney (17). Barney McGuigan (41). Gerald McKinney (35). William McKinney (26). William Nash (19). Jim Wray (22). John Young (17). John Johnston (59).
Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.
July 6, 2023
Never not been at it, and still at it to this day. Justice will come- slowly, but it will come.
November 1, 2023
Unbelievable. Heartbreaking. Read most with tears in my eyes.
August 13, 2022
This is a truly remarkable and unique book, as it is an oral history of a traumatic event from relatively modern history. The firsthand accounts of the events that occurred on Bloody Sunday, as well as the buildup and the aftermath can often make for a emotionally trying read, as you jump through the various perspectives of those most affected by the events. This may be a new way to learn about history. Campbell lovingly constructed this novel so that the story flows, but because of the oral history technique, the victims are not mere names a page, they each come alive in the recollections of those who loved them. This book was truly a stunning achievement, and I can’t imagine the sheer amount of effort it took to put this together so perfectly. Julieann Campbell deserves every award and I hope the word spreads and this becomes a modern classic of historical non-fiction. A thousand stars
March 25, 2023
This is a truly extraordinary book which I would urge everyone to read. It’s the first ever oral history of Bloody Sunday, one of the most pivotal events in Irish and British history when 13 innocent civilians, taking part in a peaceful civil rights march, were murdered in broad daylight by the Parachute Regiment.
The author’s own uncle was the first person to be killed in the massacre and the responsibility therefore to do justice to the people who shared their experiences with her must have weighed very heavily on her. The book however, is an amazing achievement and its format provides surely the most comprehensive and yet most accessible account of Bloody Sunday, including the background and events running up to it, the subsequent cover up by the British political and military establishment and the inspirational, four decades long campaign by the families for justice for their loved ones.
Please read this powerful and remarkable book.
The author’s own uncle was the first person to be killed in the massacre and the responsibility therefore to do justice to the people who shared their experiences with her must have weighed very heavily on her. The book however, is an amazing achievement and its format provides surely the most comprehensive and yet most accessible account of Bloody Sunday, including the background and events running up to it, the subsequent cover up by the British political and military establishment and the inspirational, four decades long campaign by the families for justice for their loved ones.
Please read this powerful and remarkable book.
May 21, 2023
The author did a masterful job of presenting her topic and not straying off-topic. Telling the story through interviews of those who were actually there or were related to the deceased, is how I think as much of history as it can be, should be told.
The designer of the book's pages did a fantastic job of helping you keep track of who was speaking! Each speaker is called out before their words and the author's voice is distinguished in the text with italics. As well as providing an index at the back of each of the deceased and wounded for quick reference. A big applause for letting you know that exists on the very first page and not discovering after you'd struggled thru the entire book!
There are areas related to the IRA, Provisional IRA, Sinn Féin, and several other subjects that I would have liked to know more about but applaud the author for not sidetracking the story she wanted the reader to understand, which is all said in the subtitle of her book.
The designer of the book's pages did a fantastic job of helping you keep track of who was speaking! Each speaker is called out before their words and the author's voice is distinguished in the text with italics. As well as providing an index at the back of each of the deceased and wounded for quick reference. A big applause for letting you know that exists on the very first page and not discovering after you'd struggled thru the entire book!
There are areas related to the IRA, Provisional IRA, Sinn Féin, and several other subjects that I would have liked to know more about but applaud the author for not sidetracking the story she wanted the reader to understand, which is all said in the subtitle of her book.
May 12, 2022
This is just an extraordinary book and one of its main achievements is capturing and portraying the human impacts on each victim of Bloody Sunday and their families. Although I’m Irish, I hold my hands up in relation to my ignorance about these events. The most shocking thing to me were the ages of the murder victims half of whom were 17. The heinous actions of the British army on that day resulted in the dismantling of the peaceful civil rights movement as the north’s youngsters turn toward the more militant IRA. The persecution and victimisation of the dead and wounded’s families in the years after Bloody Sunday by the same army that killed and maimed their loved ones is particularly grim as was the decades long and false stigmatisation of the victims as IRA gunmen/bombers. This book will make you weep
May 10, 2022
Participants and fatalities in the 30 years that elapsed from the start to the end of The Troubles, came from many factions in the United Kingdom and Ireland. On Bloody Sunday covers a peaceful March that left 13 marchers dead and 13 injured when British soldiers opened fire. Julieann Campbell has written a very restrained account of this event, leaving the readers to make their own judgements. Being British I was shocked at the untruths given by many senior members of the British government, and military. Perhaps more openess as to what happened at an early stage might have lessened the final death toll of just over 3,600. Even better granting equal civil rights to protestants and catholics years earlier might have prevented The Troubles.
April 29, 2022
This is a fantastic and well-researched read. It is a one stop authority and resource on Bloody Sunday and has a variety of accounts and sources detailing the events and days leading up, during and afterwards. The format was easily digestible and perfect. It is made up of small paragraphs of narrative, interview excerpts from those involved and other sources such as documents and army communications. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about Bloody Sunday and can definitely see myself coming back to this again in the future.
May 28, 2022
A massive contribution
If you have an interest in the troubles then this is a book you must read.
To the best of my knowledge this is the first oral account of that tragic Sunday.
Yes there are contradictions in some of the stories but that makes the accounts more believable
This is the real life account of people who went out one Sunday to march for their rights and as such they should not have died.
What ever your politics this is the story of ordinary people taking on the state and winning well worth a read
If you have an interest in the troubles then this is a book you must read.
To the best of my knowledge this is the first oral account of that tragic Sunday.
Yes there are contradictions in some of the stories but that makes the accounts more believable
This is the real life account of people who went out one Sunday to march for their rights and as such they should not have died.
What ever your politics this is the story of ordinary people taking on the state and winning well worth a read
February 25, 2023
The story of Bloody Sunday as told by the people who were there. This is an incredible way to write the story of a dark day in Ireland’s history. Eyewitnesses and direct relatives through their words portray the chaos that unfolded during that 15-20 minutes, that has left a permanent scar in their lives.
The fake news and propaganda that followed is hard to believe, and eve more incredible to think that this was only 50 years ago. The soldiers were never charged for their actions and their actions ignited decades of violence in the north.
The fake news and propaganda that followed is hard to believe, and eve more incredible to think that this was only 50 years ago. The soldiers were never charged for their actions and their actions ignited decades of violence in the north.
July 18, 2022
As a History teacher who specialises in Irish History, I found this book to be a clear authority and resource on the events of Bloody Sunday. The variety of interpretations, accounts and sources from pre and post the event highlights the understanding of the author and ensures that this version of events is a reliable one.
It was easy to read due to its formatting, making it accessible to all.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn more about Bloody Sunday.
It was easy to read due to its formatting, making it accessible to all.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn more about Bloody Sunday.
July 31, 2022
This taught me a lot of on-the-ground history that doesn't normally make it into the books, but which is nonetheless an important insight into why we needed the NI Civil Rights movement.
It also left me angry that the families of the dead, in all their decades of campaigning, had to focus on clearing the names of those who were killed, and never stood a chance of actually getting justice for their murders.
It also left me angry that the families of the dead, in all their decades of campaigning, had to focus on clearing the names of those who were killed, and never stood a chance of actually getting justice for their murders.
April 7, 2022
Such and incredible and important book. Using oral history, Campbell adds context and harrowing detail to the events on and surrounding Bloody Sunday. I wish I hadn’t read it in public as it’s a tough read, but so crucial to a broader understanding of the Troubles, and for honoring the memory of those who lost their life (as well as honoring the experience of survivors).
June 3, 2022
the first history book i’ve ever read where almost all of the text comes from the words of those directly affected by the event being described. an absolutely devastating account of bloody sunday from those who fought for justice for their loved ones for decades. this should be a go-to book for everyone when looking into the troubles.
October 7, 2024
I am very glad I picked up this book at the Museum of Free Derry during my summer visit there. I was hooked the moment I started to read it. The writing style, made of snippets of interviews of survivors and family of the victims of Bloody Sunday is addictive: you cannot stop reading.
What I didn't realise when learning about "The Troubles" is the AMOUNT and LENGHT of injustice that people have suffered, after the events; even after the 1998 Agreement. The EXTENT of the British cover up is mind-blowing. These are 15 mins of a massacre for which (some of) the truth is still hidden from one the most POWERFUL governments in the world, and its ARMY - 50 years afterwards!
Despite the military being found guilty of the massacre of innocent people, and "Lord Justice" having distorted the truth at great length for the then Prime Minister Edward Heath's NI propaganda war, everyone involved from these high-power positions from British side walked free, unpunished. On the opposite, they were let to have high-ranking careers with no repercussions, and actually got merits. Baffling! That's the society we live in and it makes me sick.
A few extracts from the book that stuck with me:
- We deplore the action of the army and government in employing a unit such as the paratroopers who were in Derry yesterday. These men are trained criminals. They differ from terrorists only in the veneer of respectability that a uniform gives them.
- [Derry Journal 01.02.72] It was a simple massacre. There were no petrol bombs, no guns, no snipers, no justification for this well organised slaughter. Derry's Bloody Sunday will be remembered as the British army's greatest day of shame.
- [RR] The feeling at the deaths - it wasn't a feeling of anger. More of sadness and resignation that they could do this with impunity and say that they were fired on.
- [The Widgery tribunal] The paratroopers were wearing dark glasses and I remember they were all laughing. It was obvious to us that it was a whitewash. The way the looked at it - they were protecting their own and they were not protecting us.
- For those affected, Widgery's report confirmed that the entire British establishment stood behind those who had opened fire of Bloody Sunday.
- [LY] Had Widgery's report been fortnight and honest, we may have been spared the thirty-right tears of hurt and a secondary inquiry.
- [JH Derry Journal, April 1972] It's like blaming a man shot walking down the street, for walking down the street.
- [EM] It was all there - all in the body of the Widgery Report - and that led me to believe that they all must have known it, the whole cabinet and upper echelons of the law and everyone else. I fit was obvious enough for me to work out, then they all must have known it was lies.
- [EM] I think that Widgery really destroyed the credibility of British politics and the British establishment generally over the range of issues that affected Northern Ireland. In that sense, Widgery was an absolute disaster for the British state and their relations with Norther Ireland.
- [ED] What really made Bloody Sunday so obscene was the fact that people afterwards, at the highest level of British justice, justified it.
- [EM] There is no other atrocity which had the political resonance and the political impact that Bloody Sunday did.
- Despite the Coroner's report, what happened in Derry was buried by the British army and successive governments.
- [JM] Will the army learn? They'll learn, yes, but they'll learn the wrong lessons. They'll learn to cover things up better. They'll learn no moral lesson from Bloody Sunday.
- [Innocent] That day our lives changed for ever, it dictated how things went. We've dedicated most of our lives to the campaign for truth, justice and accountability. Truth is on our side, so I know we'll fight on now for justice, no matter how long it takes. We shall overcome.
- [DG] Like so many others, I make no apology for working hard to try to create the circumstances where it will be acceptable to deal honestly and freely with your neighbour; to fight injustice together without fear of being label as a traitor, and to work for a society that embraces the principles of justice, quality and independence.
- In July 2012, the PSNI announced they were initiating a murder investigation into the events of Bloody Sunday. Unbelievably, it was the first ever police investigation into the shootings - 40 years after events had taken place.
- In September 2021, a report by academics at Queen's University, Belfast and the human rights NGO the Committee on the Administration of Justice concluded that the proposals represented 'one of the most sweeping amnesties introduced in any jurisdiction since 1945'; they were not only 'in clear breach of binding human rights standards' but were 'significantly more expansive' than those brought in by brutal Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
- [MM] The soldier who shot Annette may never be questioned. The British government has decided that the rule of law does not apply to Irish people, not even children. If a 14-year-old child was shot in England, it is inconceivable that the investigation would be dropped, but this is exactly what the British government wants to happen in Ireland.
What I didn't realise when learning about "The Troubles" is the AMOUNT and LENGHT of injustice that people have suffered, after the events; even after the 1998 Agreement. The EXTENT of the British cover up is mind-blowing. These are 15 mins of a massacre for which (some of) the truth is still hidden from one the most POWERFUL governments in the world, and its ARMY - 50 years afterwards!
Despite the military being found guilty of the massacre of innocent people, and "Lord Justice" having distorted the truth at great length for the then Prime Minister Edward Heath's NI propaganda war, everyone involved from these high-power positions from British side walked free, unpunished. On the opposite, they were let to have high-ranking careers with no repercussions, and actually got merits. Baffling! That's the society we live in and it makes me sick.
A few extracts from the book that stuck with me:
- We deplore the action of the army and government in employing a unit such as the paratroopers who were in Derry yesterday. These men are trained criminals. They differ from terrorists only in the veneer of respectability that a uniform gives them.
- [Derry Journal 01.02.72] It was a simple massacre. There were no petrol bombs, no guns, no snipers, no justification for this well organised slaughter. Derry's Bloody Sunday will be remembered as the British army's greatest day of shame.
- [RR] The feeling at the deaths - it wasn't a feeling of anger. More of sadness and resignation that they could do this with impunity and say that they were fired on.
- [The Widgery tribunal] The paratroopers were wearing dark glasses and I remember they were all laughing. It was obvious to us that it was a whitewash. The way the looked at it - they were protecting their own and they were not protecting us.
- For those affected, Widgery's report confirmed that the entire British establishment stood behind those who had opened fire of Bloody Sunday.
- [LY] Had Widgery's report been fortnight and honest, we may have been spared the thirty-right tears of hurt and a secondary inquiry.
- [JH Derry Journal, April 1972] It's like blaming a man shot walking down the street, for walking down the street.
- [EM] It was all there - all in the body of the Widgery Report - and that led me to believe that they all must have known it, the whole cabinet and upper echelons of the law and everyone else. I fit was obvious enough for me to work out, then they all must have known it was lies.
- [EM] I think that Widgery really destroyed the credibility of British politics and the British establishment generally over the range of issues that affected Northern Ireland. In that sense, Widgery was an absolute disaster for the British state and their relations with Norther Ireland.
- [ED] What really made Bloody Sunday so obscene was the fact that people afterwards, at the highest level of British justice, justified it.
- [EM] There is no other atrocity which had the political resonance and the political impact that Bloody Sunday did.
- Despite the Coroner's report, what happened in Derry was buried by the British army and successive governments.
- [JM] Will the army learn? They'll learn, yes, but they'll learn the wrong lessons. They'll learn to cover things up better. They'll learn no moral lesson from Bloody Sunday.
- [Innocent] That day our lives changed for ever, it dictated how things went. We've dedicated most of our lives to the campaign for truth, justice and accountability. Truth is on our side, so I know we'll fight on now for justice, no matter how long it takes. We shall overcome.
- [DG] Like so many others, I make no apology for working hard to try to create the circumstances where it will be acceptable to deal honestly and freely with your neighbour; to fight injustice together without fear of being label as a traitor, and to work for a society that embraces the principles of justice, quality and independence.
- In July 2012, the PSNI announced they were initiating a murder investigation into the events of Bloody Sunday. Unbelievably, it was the first ever police investigation into the shootings - 40 years after events had taken place.
- In September 2021, a report by academics at Queen's University, Belfast and the human rights NGO the Committee on the Administration of Justice concluded that the proposals represented 'one of the most sweeping amnesties introduced in any jurisdiction since 1945'; they were not only 'in clear breach of binding human rights standards' but were 'significantly more expansive' than those brought in by brutal Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
- [MM] The soldier who shot Annette may never be questioned. The British government has decided that the rule of law does not apply to Irish people, not even children. If a 14-year-old child was shot in England, it is inconceivable that the investigation would be dropped, but this is exactly what the British government wants to happen in Ireland.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2025
A painful, yet necessary book. Death, community, resilience, the longing for justice, the covering of the British government, all told by the people that were there on that day. As I closed this book, silence was the only thing I felt inside.
February 28, 2024
A masterful compilation of first hand accounts of Derry’s 1972 Bloody Sunday. Absolutely required reading for anyone interested in The Troubles and/or overall Irish history.
May 22, 2024
My wife and I were living in Derry on Bloody Sunday, January 30, 1972. After we arrived in Derry in November 1970 at the US Naval Communication Station, we learned about the civil rights issues that had been growing in fervor since the late 60's. We empathsized with the cause of the minority Catholic population, seeing its similarity with the civil rights movements in the US at that time. The riots against the police and Royal Ulster Constabularly had begun. We witnessed these many times, principally where William Street came into the city square's shopping district. The Bogside and Creggan estates became a "no-go" area, blocked with barricades from entry by the army and police. Interestingly, and fortunately, the small contingent of US Navy personnel were viewed as neutrals in the strife; we were welcomed in any of the sharply-divided sectarian neighborhoods in the city. (The best fish and chips shop in the city was behind the barricades in the Bogside.) We witnessed the famous "You are now entering Free Derry" wall painting before it became the tourist attraction it is now.
After internment without charges of suspected IRA terrorists on August 11, 1971 things really heated up. We were directly impacted by this when on August 12 (or 13) our flat located above a car showroom on the Strand Road was bombed. Our car was destroyed, but we and ourvisiting Irish friend were not injured. The daily riots, principally where William Street entered the city square, were an everyday occurence; we witnessed these many times.
I have to admit there was an element of fascination with all this, a youthful sense of exhilaration of being around danger. We were aware of the huge civil rights march set for Sunday, January 30. An Irish acquaintence invited me to tag along; it'll be a lark he said. I declined, not because of a premonition of violence but because the authorities widely announced there would be mass arrests of people violating the ban on marches. As a US serviceman stationed in Derry, I knew that any identification with trouble would surely seen me shipped out immediately. I recall vividly hearing the news reports of the massacre that evening and the newspaper accounts the next morning. My friend was quoted in a British tabloid as having witnessed some of the shootings. (Tony was a bit of a blowhard so I wasn't sure of his telling, but I never saw him again.)
This book gives personal accounts and rememberances of people related to the 13 killed on the day (a 14th died some months later). It is poignant and heartbreaking to read of the depth of grief that families endured. But of their anger too. The book affirms that the Widgery tribunal investigation shortly after the event was a complete whitewash, advancing outright lies that the victims were gunmen and nail bombers. The families and their allies persisted for decades to demand a new review of the actions of the parachute battalion and to clear the names of the deceased. Finally, in a comprehensive investigation, the truth of the day's behavior of the soldiers was revealed, resulting in an apology by British Prime Minister David Cameron. The victory of those seeking public admission of the atrocity was tempered by the failure to bring charges to even one of the soldiers identified as a killer of unarmed demonstrators.
The author, herself involved in the demands for an honest inquiry, is to be commended for this exhaustive examination of the personal stories of the many people affected by this tragedy.
After internment without charges of suspected IRA terrorists on August 11, 1971 things really heated up. We were directly impacted by this when on August 12 (or 13) our flat located above a car showroom on the Strand Road was bombed. Our car was destroyed, but we and ourvisiting Irish friend were not injured. The daily riots, principally where William Street entered the city square, were an everyday occurence; we witnessed these many times.
I have to admit there was an element of fascination with all this, a youthful sense of exhilaration of being around danger. We were aware of the huge civil rights march set for Sunday, January 30. An Irish acquaintence invited me to tag along; it'll be a lark he said. I declined, not because of a premonition of violence but because the authorities widely announced there would be mass arrests of people violating the ban on marches. As a US serviceman stationed in Derry, I knew that any identification with trouble would surely seen me shipped out immediately. I recall vividly hearing the news reports of the massacre that evening and the newspaper accounts the next morning. My friend was quoted in a British tabloid as having witnessed some of the shootings. (Tony was a bit of a blowhard so I wasn't sure of his telling, but I never saw him again.)
This book gives personal accounts and rememberances of people related to the 13 killed on the day (a 14th died some months later). It is poignant and heartbreaking to read of the depth of grief that families endured. But of their anger too. The book affirms that the Widgery tribunal investigation shortly after the event was a complete whitewash, advancing outright lies that the victims were gunmen and nail bombers. The families and their allies persisted for decades to demand a new review of the actions of the parachute battalion and to clear the names of the deceased. Finally, in a comprehensive investigation, the truth of the day's behavior of the soldiers was revealed, resulting in an apology by British Prime Minister David Cameron. The victory of those seeking public admission of the atrocity was tempered by the failure to bring charges to even one of the soldiers identified as a killer of unarmed demonstrators.
The author, herself involved in the demands for an honest inquiry, is to be commended for this exhaustive examination of the personal stories of the many people affected by this tragedy.
April 10, 2022
The main feeling I got from reading ‘On Bloody Sunday: A New History Of The Day And Its Aftermath – By The People Who Were There’ was anger. So much so that I could only read short passages at a time before I had to leave the book down. Go for walk, make a cup of tea, anything until I calmed down and was able to start again. It’s only natural that this was my reaction, as what is recounted in these pages couldn’t help but generate any other emotion. Of course sadness is in there too – sadness for the families, for those who didn’t live to hear the Saville report. But so much anger.
Julieann Campbell, the author of ‘On bloody Sunday’’ is well placed to tell this story as her Uncle, Jackie Duddy, just 17 years old, was the first to be killed that day. She has been a leading campaigner for truth and justice for the Bloody Sunday families.
I had of course heard of Bloody Sunday before this book, and my father and uncle had told me about Civil Rights marches they attended during the sixties. This book, with it’s details and personal accounts of the day, some previously unpublished, put me right in the middle of the events. This is a powerful book.
Full review here
Julieann Campbell, the author of ‘On bloody Sunday’’ is well placed to tell this story as her Uncle, Jackie Duddy, just 17 years old, was the first to be killed that day. She has been a leading campaigner for truth and justice for the Bloody Sunday families.
I had of course heard of Bloody Sunday before this book, and my father and uncle had told me about Civil Rights marches they attended during the sixties. This book, with it’s details and personal accounts of the day, some previously unpublished, put me right in the middle of the events. This is a powerful book.
Full review here
September 8, 2022
(4.5 stars)A solid oral history of one of the most controversial days in modern history, the Bloody Sunday killings in 1972, where British military forces gunned down 13 Northern Ireland Catholics who were not active IRA members nor trying to injure them. The book discusses the families involved, before, the day of and the aftermath. So much only recently came to life. What the families of the victims went through…and the coverup was as brutal as the events of that day.
The author was intimately involved, as her family suffered on that day and after. The British only admitted fault in the 1990s, and it took until 2010 for a formal apology. No soldiers in that day will be tried, but at least those wrongfully accused had sown validation.
A good read, but a tough one. If there is a criticism, it would have been something to get the perspectives from the British side, aside from the official documents and unit histories. Could the author have been neutral in that case? Maybe not. Still, for those who would only know of this “Bloody Sunday” from the U2 song, this will be an eye opening, and gut-punching, book.
The author was intimately involved, as her family suffered on that day and after. The British only admitted fault in the 1990s, and it took until 2010 for a formal apology. No soldiers in that day will be tried, but at least those wrongfully accused had sown validation.
A good read, but a tough one. If there is a criticism, it would have been something to get the perspectives from the British side, aside from the official documents and unit histories. Could the author have been neutral in that case? Maybe not. Still, for those who would only know of this “Bloody Sunday” from the U2 song, this will be an eye opening, and gut-punching, book.
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