Posted by Jim on January 19, 2018
Former political prisoner, author and political commentator ANTHONY McINTYRE will report on Karen Bradley,who despite never having been to the north of Ireland was appointed as British colonial secretary, Bradley’s new talks to restore Stormont,Barry McElduff’s resignation and the by-election for his seat.
Saoradh organizer JOE BARR will tell us about a controversy regarding next week’s Bloody Sunday March in Derry,and why sadly for the first time in years he will not be attending.
John McDonagh and Martin Galvin co-host
Posted by Jim on
The dead
Belt worn by Patrick Doherty. The notch was made by the bullet that killed him.[48]
In all, 26 people were shot by the paratroopers; 13 died on the day and another died four months later. Most of them were killed in four main areas: the rubble barricade across Rossville Street, the courtyard car park of Rossville Flats (on the north side of the flats), the courtyard car park of Glenfada Park, and the forecourt of Rossville Flats (on the south side of the flats).[42]
All of the soldiers responsible insisted that they had shot at, and hit, gunmen or bomb-throwers. The Saville Report concluded that all of those shot were unarmed and that none were posing a serious threat. It also concluded that none of the soldiers fired in response to attacks, or threatened attacks, by gunmen or bomb-throwers.[49]
The casualties are listed in the order in which they were killed
John ‘Jackie’ Duddy,
age 17.
Shot as he ran away from soldiers in the car park of Rossville Flats.[42] The bullet struck him in the shoulder and entered his chest. Three witnesses said they saw a soldier take deliberate aim at the youth as he ran.[42] He was the first fatality on Bloody Sunday.[42] Like Saville, Widgery also concluded that Kelly was unarmed.[42] His nephew is boxer John Duddy.
Michael Kelly,
age 17
Shot in the stomach while standing at the rubble barricade on Rossville Street. Both Saville and Widgery concluded that Kelly was unarmed.[42
Hugh Gilmour
age 17
Shot through his left elbow, the bullet then entering his chest[50] as he ran away from the paratroopers near the rubble barricade on Rossville Street.[42] Widgery acknowledged that a photograph taken seconds after Gilmour was hit corroborated witness reports that he was unarmed, and that tests for gunshot residue were negative.[5]
William Nash,
age 19
Shot in the chest at the rubble barricade. Witnesses stated Nash was unarmed.[42] Three people were shot while apparently going to his aid, including his father Alexander Nash.[51]
John Young,
age 17
Shot in the face at the rubble barricade, apparently while crouching and going to the aid of William Nash.[51] Two witnesses stated Young was unarmed.[42]
Michael McDaid,
age 20
Shot in the face at the rubble barricade, apparently while crouching and going to the aid of William Nash.[51]
Kevin McElhinney,
age 17
Shot from behind, near the rubble barricade, while attempting to crawl to safety. Two witnesses stated McElhinney was unarmed.[42]
James ‘Jim’ Wray,
age 22
Shot in the back while running away from soldiers in Glenfada Park courtyard. He was then shot again in the back as he lay mortally wounded on the ground. Witnesses, who were not called to the Widgery Tribunal, stated that Wray was calling out that he could not move his legs before he was shot the second time.[42]
William McKinney,
age 26
Shot in the back[52] as he attempted to flee through Glenfada Park courtyard.[53][54]
Gerard McKinney,
age 35
Shot in the chest at Abbey Park. A soldier ran through an alleyway from Glenfada Park and shot him from a few yards away. Witnesses said that when he saw the soldier, McKinney stopped and held up his arms, shouting “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!”, before being shot. The bullet apparently went through his body and struck Gerard Donaghy behind him.[42]
Gerard Donaghy,
age 17
Shot in the stomach at Abbey Park while standing behind Gerard McKinney. Both were apparently struck by the same bullet. Bystanders brought Donaghy to a nearby house, where he was examined by a doctor. The doctor opened Donaghy’s clothes to examine him, and his pockets were also searched for identification. Two bystanders then attempted to drive Donaghy to hospital, but the car was stopped at an Army checkpoint. They were ordered to leave the car and a soldier drove it to a Regimental Aid Post, where an Army medical officer pronounced Donaghy dead.
Shortly after, soldiers found four nail bombs in his pockets. The civilians who searched him, the soldier who drove him to the Army post, and the Army medical officer, all said that they did not see any bombs. This led to claims that soldiers planted the bombs on Donaghy to justify the killings. Donaghy was a member of Fianna Éireann, an IRA-linked republican youth movement.[42] Paddy Ward, a police informer[55] who gave evidence at the Saville Inquiry, claimed he gave two nail bombs to Donaghy several hours before he was shot.[56] The Saville Report concluded that the bombs were probably in Donaghy’s pockets when he was shot. However, it concluded that he was not about to throw a bomb when he was shot; and that he was not shot because he had bombs. “He was shot while trying to escape from the soldiers”.[42]
Patrick Doherty,
age 31
Shot from behind while attempting to crawl to safety in the forecourt of Rossville Flats. He was shot by soldiers who came out of Glenfada Park. Doherty was photographed, moments before and after he died, by French journalist Gilles Peress. Despite testimony from “Soldier F” that he had shot a man holding a pistol, Widgery acknowledged that the photographs show Doherty was unarmed, and that forensic tests on his hands for gunshot residue proved negative.[42][57]
Bernard ‘Barney’ McGuigan,
age 41
Shot in the head when he walked out from cover to help Patrick Doherty. He had been waving a white handkerchief to indicate his peaceful intentions.[5][42]
John Johnston,
age 59
Shot in the leg and left shoulder on William Street 15 minutes before the rest of the shooting started.[42][58] Johnston was not on the march, but on his way to visit a friend in Glenfada Park.[58] He died on 16 June 1972; his death has been attributed to the injuries he received on the day. He was the only one not to die immediately or soon after being shot.
Posted by Jim on
By John Lennon
Well it was sunday
bloody sunday
When they shot the people there
The crys of thirteen martyrs
Filled the free derry air.
Is there any one among you
Dare to blame it on the kids?
Not a soldier boy was
bleeding
When they nailed the
coffin lidds!
Sunday bloody sunday
Bloody sunday’s the day!
You claim to be majority
Well you know that it’s a lie
You’re really a minority
Oh this sweet emerald isle.
When Stormont bans
our marchers
They’ve got a lot to learn
Internment is no answer
It’s those mother’s turn
to burn!
Sunday bloody sunday
Bloody sunday’s the day!
You anglo pigs and scotties
Sent to colonize the north
You wave your bloody
Union Jacks
And you know what it’s worth!
How dare you hold on to ransom
A people proud and free
Keep ireland for the irish
Put the english back to sea!
Sunday bloody sunday
Bloody sunday’s the day!
Yes it’s always bloody sunday
In the concentration camps
Keep Falls and roads free forever
From the bloody english hands
Repatriate to britain
All of you who call it home
Leave ireland to the irish
Not for London or for Rome!
Sunday bloody sunday
Bloody sunday’s the day!
Posted by Jim on January 12, 2018
Radio Free Eireann
January 13th Saturday 12:00 noon in New York and 5:00 pm in Ireland on WBAI 99.5 FM. WBAI also streams the show on the internet.
Martin Galvin will interview Belfast’s Relatives For Justice Leader Mark Thompson on events concerning the families of those killed by British troops and their supporters in Ireland.
Posted by Jim on
Bloody Sunday March
Best suits, coats , gloves and hats
The whole town had set off to mass
Laughing, joking, they’re once a week natter,
Discussing the things t…hat really do matter
A shout from across “ye fur the march the day”
“For civil rights, sure ye couldn’t keep me away”
Dockers, window cleaners, butchers and, bakers…
Lawyers, doctors, and all the shirt makers
Schoolteachers, unemployed, even undertakers
Bankers, borrowers, and all the bookmakers
They came in their thousands on that January afternoon
They came with no notion of what was going to happen soon
Behind the scenes, paratroopers, waiting for the order
To get in there, to kill , maim, cause mayhem and disorder
Bogwogs, fenian thugs, slags,
Whores rearing scum
Names we were called
By Britain’s great sons.
This wasn’t just any day
They went for a cull
They left us in silence
Just a heart wrenching lull
They laughed back at barracks
Patting each others backs,
While mothers and fathers
Tried to trace their wanes tracks
They found them, dead and wounded
Sons daughters, husbands, a wife
Young Peggy, shot and wounded
Trying to save a boys life
Well Britain that day I cursed you
May you forever be damned
For that day you came
And sullied my land
