🔗 Share this article

Sunday 30 January 1972 remains among the most fatal – and significant – dates during multiple decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.

In the streets of the incident – the legacy of the tragic events are displayed on the walls and etched in collective memory.

A civil rights march was organized on a wintry, sunny period in Londonderry.

The march was a protest against the practice of internment – holding suspects without trial – which had been put in place following an extended period of conflict.

Military personnel from the elite army unit fatally wounded multiple civilians in the Bogside area – which was, and remains, a strongly republican area.

A particular photograph became especially memorable.

Photographs showed a clergyman, Father Daly, waving a bloodied cloth while attempting to protect a crowd moving a young man, the fatally wounded individual, who had been killed.

Journalists documented much footage on the day.

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

This account of the incident wasn't accepted by the initial investigation.

The Widgery Tribunal found the military had been shot at first.

In the negotiation period, Tony Blair's government established a fresh examination, following pressure by family members, who said the initial inquiry had been a whitewash.

That year, the findings by the investigation said that generally, the military personnel had fired first and that zero among the casualties had posed any threat.

At that time government leader, the leader, apologised in the House of Commons – declaring deaths were "unjustified and unjustifiable."

Law enforcement began to investigate the matter.

A military veteran, identified as Soldier F, was brought to trial for killing.

Indictments were filed over the deaths of the first individual, twenty-two, and in his mid-twenties another victim.

Soldier F was further implicated of seeking to harm multiple individuals, additional persons, Joe Mahon, another person, and an unidentified individual.

Exists a legal order protecting the soldier's identity protection, which his attorneys have argued is necessary because he is at threat.

He testified the examination that he had only fired at persons who were possessing firearms.

That claim was rejected in the final report.

Evidence from the examination was unable to be used immediately as evidence in the legal proceedings.

During the trial, the accused was screened from view with a blue curtain.

He spoke for the initial occasion in the hearing at a proceeding in late 2024, to reply "innocent" when the charges were read.

Family members of the deceased on that day travelled from Londonderry to Belfast Crown Court each day of the trial.

A family member, whose relative was fatally wounded, said they understood that listening to the case would be difficult.

"I remember everything in my memory," the relative said, as we walked around the key areas discussed in the case – from Rossville Street, where Michael was killed, to the adjoining Glenfada Park, where the individual and the second person were killed.

"It reminds me to my position that day.

"I helped to carry the victim and lay him in the medical transport.

"I experienced again every moment during the testimony.

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