Northern Ireland

Bloody Sunday: Shootings started 15 minutes before Parachute Regiment entered Bogside

The Bloody Sunday victims were killed and injured within a small area of Derry's Bogside. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
The Bloody Sunday victims were killed and injured within a small area of Derry's Bogside. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin The Bloody Sunday victims were killed and injured within a small area of Derry's Bogside. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

THE first shootings on Bloody Sunday took place almost 15 minutes before the soldiers of One Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, entered the Bogside.

The Northern Ireland Civil Rights’ Association march was organised in protest at the decision by Northern Ireland Prime Minister, Brian Faulkner to introduce internment in August 1971. The decision resulted in large numbers of Catholic men being held in internment camps without trial.

A week before Bloody Sunday, a protest march was held at an internment camp at Magilligan. Organisers deliberately held the march on Magilligan Strand so that those taking part could not find stones or missiles to throw at soldiers. Despite this paratroopers violently broke up the protest, criticised even by other British Army regiments.

The Parachute Regiment was brought in ostensibly to prevent the march reaching Guildhall Square in Derry’s city centre. On the morning of Bloody Sunday, Derry police chief, Frank Lagan was told that the route of the march was changed to end at Free Derry Corner, thereby negating the need for army intervention. However, when he informed General Gerald Ford and Brigadier Pat McLellan of this he was ignored.

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At 3.55pm on Bloody Sunday, a British soldier fired a shot at the marchers as they walked along William Street. Damien Donaghy (15) was shot and wounded but survived. However, one of the men who rushed to his aid, John Johnston, was also shot and wounded and died from his injuries some months later to become the 14th victim of Bloody Sunday.

Former bishop of Derry, Edward Daly leads a group carrying the dying Jackie Duddy from the Bogside on Bloody Sunday.
Former bishop of Derry, Edward Daly leads a group carrying the dying Jackie Duddy from the Bogside on Bloody Sunday. Former bishop of Derry, Edward Daly leads a group carrying the dying Jackie Duddy from the Bogside on Bloody Sunday.

After the soldier fired, an Official IRA man returned fire. However, the Saville Inquiry concluded that the Paras waiting to go into the Bogside were unaware of this and that it had no bearing on their decision making.

Just before 4.10pm, a number of Paras moved from Derry’s postal sorting office along Rossville Street. On dismounting from vehicles, they immediately took up firing positions and opened fire on fleeing protesters.

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In just ten minutes, the Paras shot and killed 13 people. Six of these were at a rubble barricade on Rossville Street; two were in Glenfada Park; two were in killed (possibly by the same bullet) in Abbey Park; two in Joseph Place and one in the courtyard behind the Rossville flats. The vast majority were shot in the back and were in their teens or early 20s.

The dead were:

Jackie Duddy (17), Rossville flats courtyard

Paddy Doherty (31), Joseph Place

Bernard McGuigan (41), Joseph Place

William Nash (19), rubble barricade, William Street

John Young (17), rubble barricade, William Street

Michael Kelly (17), rubble barricade, William Street

Michael McDaid (20), rubble barricade, William Street

Hugh Gilmour (17), William Street, collapsed and died in Joseph Place

Kevin McElhinney (17), William Street, died in entrance to Rossville flats

Jim Wray (22), Glenfada Park, killed with point blank shot after initial wounding

William McKinney (27), Glenfada Park

Gerard McKinney (35), Abbey Park

Gerald Donaghey (17), Abbey Park

John Johnston, William Street

Fifteen people were also wounded and injured at various locations adjacent to Rossville Street.

Former bishop of Derry, Edward Daly leads a group carrying the dying Jackie Duddy from the Bogside on Bloody Sunday.
Former bishop of Derry, Edward Daly leads a group carrying the dying Jackie Duddy from the Bogside on Bloody Sunday. Former bishop of Derry, Edward Daly leads a group carrying the dying Jackie Duddy from the Bogside on Bloody Sunday.