Bloody Sunday… ‘No-one knew what was going to happen next’

FIFTY years ago today, Paratroopers shot dead 13 innocent civil rights marchers in Derry.

Forever known as ‘Bloody Sunday’, the massacre shocked the world and local people joined in the nation’s expression of anger.

Dramatic photographs taken by the UH photographer, Jackie Sloan, at the time highlighted the tension in Omagh the day after the killings.

A protest march along John Street was baton-charged by the RUC and a picket outside Lisanelly army camp was also attacked by the security forces.

The front page headline in the UH that week read ‘OMAGH MOURNS DERRY VICTIMS’ and reported how local reaction to the shootings.

A silent vigil was held by boys from St Patrick’s Secondary School and the Christian Brothers Grammar School at the Courthouse steps. They were joined by students from other schools and people who left their place of work.

Waving black flags, the crowds sang the ‘Soldiers Song’ and the Civil Rights song ‘We Shall Overcome’.

Hundreds of people took part and then the crowd, in further protest, breached Stormont’s ban on all marches by parading through John Street, Kevlin Road and the ‘Hill.’

That’s when they were met by waiting RUC officers who charged the crowd, striking people with batons.

There was also trouble in other parts of Tyrone. Serious rioting took place in Dungannon, where shots were fired in the course of disturbances and there was also trouble in Coalisland. Three buses were hijacked and burned at Carrickmore and there were prolonged clashes between demonstrators and security forces in Strabane.

Special Masses were held, and on a national day of mourning businesses in Drumquin, Carrickmore, Dromore, Newtownstewart and Fintona all closed down.

Local schools also closed, and in Dromore staff and pupils walked to the local church for special prayers.

As written by our columnist Stephen McKenna in the immediate aftermath, ‘it was a solemn and serious time, and no-one knew what was going to happen next…’