Report: Events of Bloody Sunday

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In 1920 Northern Ireland was a place with social tensions fuming. Protestants feared that if the IRA and Sinn Fein war against the British were successful then they would be forced into an Irish Republic. In Derry, between April and June of 1920, serious violence broke out between the UVF and the IRA. 40 people died and so a military curfew was put in place. There was serious attacks on Protestant homes in Northern Ireland at this time. This lead to a major backlash from the Protestant communities and many Catholics were forced to flea their homes, thousands were left unemployed. To tackle this ongoing violence the government decided to set up an Ulster Special Constabulary in September 1920. This was a mainly Protestant work force and it’s part-timers, the B Specials, were severely feared amongst the Catholic Population.

        A British government committee was set up to try and find a common solution to stop this violence in the North of Ireland for good. It became decided that Ireland should be partitioned into two parts, with separate parliaments in Belfast and Dublin. It became decided that the 6 Northeastern counties Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Down would be ruled from Belfast and the other 26 from Dublin. On December 23rd 1920 the ‘Government of Ireland Act’ became law. Many Protestants praised the idea of Partition, as they believed that they could strengthen their union with Britain being the majority. Catholics apposed the idea because, as the minority, they believed they were being isolated from their cause i.e. a united Ireland.

        In 1963 Captain Terrence O’Neill became prime minister of Northern Ireland. His ambitions were to make Northern Ireland stronger and more economically prosperous and to build bridges between the two communities. O’Neill had some strong opposition from both sides of the community Unionists believed he was too liberal and too slow to take real action against Catholics. Catholics believed that he was neglecting their needs and helping out the Protestants too much. O’Neill made the first cross border contact with Taoiseach Sean Lemass. He invited him to Stormont about cross border trading, to help both countries economies. Many Unionists rejected his contacts with the Republic.

        In 1968 NICRA (Northern Ireland’s Civil Rights Association) was set up as Catholics believed that they were being mistreated and discriminated against. They organised a series of marches as a form of peaceful protest against the inequalities of Northern Ireland at the time. There was a serious build up in tension leading up to 1972.

EVENTS OF BLOODY SUNDAY

‘Bloody Sunday’ refers to the events that took place in Derry on Sunday 30th of January 1972. NICRA had organised a peaceful march to take place through the city of Derry to protest against internment and civil rights for Catholics. Approximately 20,000 men, women and children attended the march from all over Ireland. As the march progressed the Parachute Regiment, part of the British Army, prevented it from entering the city centre because it risked the protestor’s safety. The main part of the crowd then moved to ‘Free Derry Corner’ of the city to start a rally of their own. A few bottles, broken paving stones, chair legs and heavy pieces of iron grating were thrown at the troops manning the barrier and some of the younger members of the group began to chant “IRA, IRA”. The throwing of missiles then began to become more constant and the Army decided that action they needed to take action. A few members of the Parachute Regiment jumped over the barricade and chased the protestors whilst armoured vehicles entered the Bogside area of the city. Over the next 30 minutes these soldiers shot dead 13 people and injured a further 14. They claimed that members of the IRA had fired them upon and insist that they did not fire the first shot.

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THE WIDGERY REPORT

On the 1st of February 1972 the British Government appointed Lord Widgery to set up an inquiry into the events of ‘Bloody Sunday’. The inquiry’s main purpose was to try and find a true explanation of who fired the first shot and if the Parachute Regiment could justify their killing of 13 and injuring a further 14. The inquiry was initially due to take place in the city of Derry but Lord Widgery decided against it ...

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