Shortly after the events known as “Bloody Sunday”, Lord Widgery heads an inquiry to find out the truth about what actually happens. In April of 1972, just two years after the events, Lord Widgery finish’s his investigation and finds that the soldiers had been fired on first. He says there would have been no deaths if there had not been an illegal march, which had created "a highly dangerous situation". However, Nationalists were not happy at the inconsistency’s of the report.
The investigation found no conclusive proof that the dead or wounded had been shot while handling a firearm, yet Lord Widgery concluded that the soldiers had been fired on first. Widgery admitted that the soldiers' firing "bordered on the reckless".
Many eyewitnesses were not called and testimony was not taken from wounded survivors.
The interpretation of forensic evidence was flawed. Widgery concluded from firearms residue found on swabs taken from the bodies of the deceased that they had been in close contact with firearms. He dismissed any other possibilities.
The possibility of shooting directed into the Catholic Bogside area of Londonderry from the city walls, hitting and killing victims was not given proper consideration.
Because of the above reasons, Nationalists united in a call for a fresh, detailed inquiry to be started. However their cry’s had no use for over 28 years. Throughout this lengthy period, friends and family have been united in finding the truth. Along the friends and families of the deceased, Nationalist feel as if the British Army is covering up the true events of what actually happened. This causes further fractions between the two groups. The Nationalists believe that they are being discriminated against so they must unite together and stick together. I think that, despite the outcome of the fresh inquiry, the lines have already been drawn and the sides chosen. The matter is too far gone for there to be any hope of reconciliation between the Nationalists and the British Government, in my opinion. However it may help the families of the deceased finally understand why their loved ones died.
In 1997 the Irish Government handed a detailed dossier of evidence to the British detailing fresh information about the shootings - as well as a damning indictment of the Widgery report. The British could no longer ignore the cries. In 1998 PM of the UK Tony Blair announces that there will be a new independent, judiciary inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday. It is too be headed by Lord Saville, accompanied by two commonwealth judges. The inquiry is already into it’s 5th year, with out an end in the distance, Nationalists are become more and more agitated at the delay in findings.
