THE man who chaired the Bloody Sunday Inquiry which exonerated the victims of the 1972 killings, has described Bishop Edward Daly as a "remarkable man".
Lord Saville of Newdigate, the retired British law lord, issued a statement yesterday paying a warm tribute to Dr Daly.
Lord Saville chaired the inquiry which sat from 2000 until 2004 into Bloody Sunday. Set up in 1998, the inquiry overturned the findings of the 1972 Widgery Inquiry which blamed the march organisers for the killings and completely exonerated the soldiers who carried out the shootings.
When it was published in June 2010, then prime minister, David Cameron made an unprecedented apology for the killings which he described as "unjustified and unjustifiable".
Bishop Daly was a key witness to the inquiry. A photograph of Dr Daly waving a blood-stained handkerchief as he led a group carrying the body of teenage victim, Jackie Duddy from the Bogside became one of the most enduring images of the day.
In tribute to Dr Daly, Lord Saville (80) said he was saddened to hear of the former bishop's death.
"He was a remarkable man whose courageous actions on Bloody Sunday were commendable," Lord Saville.
"Bishop Daly's testimony on the events of the day was very powerful and of great assistance to the tribunal. I extend my deep condolences to his family and congregation."
