🔗 Share this article

January 30th, 1972 stands as arguably the deadliest – and consequential – occasions in multiple decades of conflict in this area.

Throughout the area of the incident – the memories of that fateful day are visible on the buildings and etched in people's minds.

A public gathering was organized on a wintry, sunny period in Derry.

The protest was challenging the policy of detention without trial – imprisoning people without legal proceedings – which had been put in place in response to an extended period of violence.

Soldiers from the specialized division killed 13 people in the Bogside area – which was, and still is, a strongly republican area.

A specific visual became particularly prominent.

Photographs showed a Catholic priest, Father Daly, waving a bloodied fabric as he tried to defend a assembly transporting a youth, the injured teenager, who had been mortally injured.

News camera operators captured considerable film on the day.

The archive features the priest informing a journalist that military personnel "gave the impression they would shoot indiscriminately" and he was "completely sure" that there was no reason for the shooting.

This account of the incident was rejected by the original examination.

The Widgery Tribunal found the Army had been attacked first.

In the negotiation period, the ruling party commissioned a new investigation, in response to advocacy by surviving kin, who said the first investigation had been a inadequate investigation.

During 2010, the conclusion by the investigation said that on balance, the soldiers had discharged weapons initially and that not one of the individuals had posed any threat.

At that time Prime Minister, the Prime Minister, apologised in the Parliament – stating fatalities were "unjustified and unjustifiable."

Authorities started to look into the matter.

A military veteran, known as the defendant, was brought to trial for murder.

Indictments were filed concerning the deaths of one victim, in his twenties, and in his mid-twenties the second individual.

The accused was further implicated of attempting to murder Patrick O'Donnell, additional persons, Joe Mahon, another person, and an unidentified individual.

There is a judicial decision protecting the veteran's identity protection, which his legal team have maintained is essential because he is at risk of attack.

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

The statement was disputed in the official findings.

Evidence from the investigation could not be used directly as testimony in the court case.

During the trial, the veteran was hidden from public with a blue curtain.

He made statements for the initial occasion in the proceedings at a session in December 2024, to reply "not guilty" when the accusations were put to him.

Kin of the victims on that day travelled from Londonderry to the judicial building daily of the proceedings.

One relative, whose brother Michael was killed, said they understood that listening to the trial would be difficult.

"I can see the events in my recollection," the relative said, as we examined the primary sites discussed in the case – from Rossville Street, where the victim was shot dead, to the adjoining Glenfada Park, where the individual and William McKinney were fatally wounded.

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

"I participated in moving the victim and place him in the ambulance.

"I experienced again the entire event during the evidence.

"Notwithstanding enduring the process – it's still valuable for me."