🔗 Share this article

Sunday 30 January 1972 is remembered as arguably the most deadly – and significant – dates in thirty years of violence in this area.

In the streets where it happened – the images of that fateful day are visible on the buildings and seared in collective memory.

A public gathering was conducted on a cold but bright afternoon in the city.

The protest was challenging the system of detention without trial – imprisoning people without trial – which had been implemented following three years of violence.

Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment shot dead thirteen individuals in the Bogside area – which was, and remains, a strongly republican population.

A particular photograph became particularly memorable.

Images showed a Catholic priest, the priest, using a bloodied white handkerchief in his effort to shield a group carrying a youth, the fatally wounded individual, who had been fatally wounded.

Journalists documented extensive video on the day.

The archive includes Fr Daly explaining to a reporter that troops "appeared to fire in all directions" and he was "totally convinced" that there was no provocation for the shooting.

This account of what happened was rejected by the first inquiry.

The initial inquiry concluded the soldiers had been shot at first.

In the negotiation period, the administration commissioned another inquiry, after campaigning by bereaved relatives, who said the initial inquiry had been a inadequate investigation.

That year, the report by Lord Saville said that generally, the paratroopers had fired first and that zero among the victims had presented danger.

The contemporary head of state, the leader, expressed regret in the Parliament – declaring killings were "improper and unacceptable."

Authorities started to examine the events.

A military veteran, known as Soldier F, was prosecuted for homicide.

Accusations were made over the deaths of one victim, in his twenties, and twenty-six-year-old William McKinney.

Soldier F was also accused of trying to kill several people, other civilians, Joe Mahon, an additional individual, and an unknown person.

Exists a court ruling preserving the defendant's privacy, which his lawyers have maintained is necessary because he is at risk of attack.

He stated to the investigation that he had only fired at individuals who were carrying weapons.

The statement was rejected in the final report.

Material from the inquiry was unable to be used directly as proof in the criminal process.

During the trial, the veteran was screened from view behind a privacy screen.

He spoke for the initial occasion in the hearing at a session in December 2024, to respond "innocent" when the allegations were read.

Kin of the victims on Bloody Sunday journeyed from Londonderry to the courthouse each day of the case.

John Kelly, whose relative was fatally wounded, said they always knew that hearing the trial would be emotional.

"I remember all details in my memory," John said, as we walked around the main locations discussed in the case – from Rossville Street, where Michael was fatally wounded, to the nearby Glenfada Park, where James Wray and the second person were fatally wounded.

"It even takes me back to where I was that day.

"I helped to carry Michael and place him in the ambulance.

"I went through the entire event during the evidence.

"Despite enduring everything – it's still valuable for me."