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GAA mark 95th anniversary of Bloody Sunday at Croke Park

GAA director general Paraic Duffy and President Aogan O' Fearghail lay a wreath marking the Bloody Sunday attack
GAA director general Paraic Duffy and President Aogan O' Fearghail lay a wreath marking the Bloody Sunday attack GAA director general Paraic Duffy and President Aogan O' Fearghail lay a wreath marking the Bloody Sunday attack

THE 95th anniversary of Bloody Sunday has been marked at the place where 14 people were killed during a GAA match by British forces.

The names of the victims were read out before the International Rules test between Ireland and Australia at Croke Park on Saturday night.

The stadium floodlights were dimmed and 14 flames lit up Hill 16 in their memory and senior GAA members laid a laurel wreath at the spot where 24-year-old Tipperary player Michael Hogan was shot.

No seats were sold on Hill 16 and the flames remained lit for the duration of the game.

The troops opened fire on the crowd at the Dublin-Tipperary game on Sunday 21 November 1920 during the War of Independence.

It followed the IRA shooting, organised by Michael Collins, of the socalled 'Cairo Gang' - a team of undercover British intelligence agents working and living in Dublin.

Ten British Army officers, a Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) officer, two members of the Auxiliary Division, and a suspected civilian informant were all killed.

Later that afternoon, members of the Auxiliary Division and RIC opened fire on the crowd at the match. In addition to those killed, at least 60 were injured.

GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghail and director general Páraic Duffy led the procession.

Earlier, the GAA and family members erect a gravestone for one of the victims Jane Boyle in Glasnevin cemetery.

Until now the grave has been umarked.