On Bloody Sunday: A New History of the Day and Its Aftermath – by the People Who Were There by Julieann Campbell

Author:Julieann Campbell [Campbell, Julieann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781800960411
Google: NTwXEAAAQBAJ
Published: 2022-01-20T06:25:30.370730+00:00

CHAPTER 25

Word Spreads

The body of teenager Hugh Gilmour lies covered with the civil rights banner.

As marchers and eyewitnesses made their way home, rumours became fact, and the press began to report what had transpired. It became clear that British soldiers had indeed opened fire on the marchers. All over the city and beyond, people tuned into TV and radio news to find out how many had been hurt.

Ita McKinney: I had this instinctive feeling after seeing those pictures of the trouble in town. Eventually, a man came to the house saying he had some news. ‘Tell me! Tell me!’ I screamed at him, tearing at his shirt. He said that there was a man called McKinney in the hospital who had had a heart attack, but he wasn’t sure if it was Gerry. I think I scared him off with my screaming. After that, I don’t remember much. I just knew inside myself that Gerry was dead. I can’t remember anybody ever saying to me; the house just filled up, and when I saw my brother John coming in, he was eating a handkerchief and crying – and I knew for sure then that Gerry was one of them.1

That January, Ita McKinney was over eight-months pregnant. She gave birth eight days after her husband’s murder, calling the baby Gerard after his father.

British army 8th Brigade Log:

1650hrs – 1 dead person returned to this loc, has N/B in pocket. Felix [explosives officer] requested.

1651hrs – HQNI updated.

Gerry Duddy: When I got to Westland Street, I was very frightened and nervous as hell. I thought it was unbelievable – there were bodies lying around who had been shot. People in the area were standing around, saying that three or four people were dead. Then I met friends and there was a full stream of people making their way back up to Creggan. By the time we got to the chapel at the top of the New Road, people were saying there were six or seven people dead. The fellas I was walking with knew that Jackie had been shot – but none of them told me. When I got back to Creggan I made my way home. As soon as I got to the front door, I knew something was wrong.

Eamonn Deane: As soon as we got home, we turned on the television and radios to try and find out what had happened. My father and some of my brothers and sisters had been on the march, and they came back to the house as well. My father told me that he had got trapped inside the Rossville Flats.

British army 8th Brigade Log:

1652hrs – One other amb at Rossville Flats. Crowd of between 50 and 60 in area.

1653hrs – 2 or 3 shots fired in area of Little Diamond. No strike seen.

1653hrs – 1 shot from area of Rossville Flats into Sackville St. NFR.

1655hrs – 2 shots at my C/S 5. Return of 2 rds.

1655hrs – 2 or 3 further shots in Little Diamond area by en.

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