BLOODY SUNDAY INQUIRY Week 113

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12 - 15 JANUARY 2004

Evidence heard

This week the Inquiry heard from the following witnesses:

William Martin Hegarty; Conal McFeely; Manus McDaid; William Anderson (also known as PIRA 18, Provisional IRA, Creggan 1972); Dermot Liddy; PIRA 1(Provisional IRA, Derry 1972); Mary McCourt; Donncha MacFicheallaigh (Denis McFeely); John Rogers; OIRA 8 (Official IRA, Creggan 1972) and Edward Rigney (recalled).

Summary of Evidence

Monday            12 January 2004         William Hegarty, Conal McFeely, Manus McDaid

Tuesday              13 January 2004            William Anderson (PIRA 18), Dermot Liddy

Wednesday     14 January 2004          Mary McCourt, PIRA 1, Donncha MacFicheallaigh

Thursday           15 January 2004         John Rogers, OIRA 8, Edward Rigney

A full transcript of the proceedings is available at http://www.bloody-sunday-inquiry.org.uk.

Numbers in square brackets refer to the code given to a particular document by the Inquiry. 

INTRODUCTION

The Inquiry resumed hearing evidence on Monday 12 January 2004.  William Anderson was a member of the Creggan IRA and witnessed Peter Robson being shot the day before Bloody Sunday.  Donncha MacFicheallaigh (spelt Denis McFeely in most Inquiry documents) witnessed the shootings of Joe Mahon, William McKinney, Michael Quinn and possibly James Wray in Glenfada Park.  PIRA 1 was present with Sean Keenan at the confrontation with OIRA 1 in Colombcille Court.  PIRA 1 and OIRA 8 were interned without trial after their arrest on Bloody Sunday.

William Martin Hegarty

Made Statement to the Inquiry on 13 January 1999 [AM0065.0001]

Mr. Hegarty was 19 years old on Bloody Sunday.  His brother-in-law, Michael Kelly, was shot dead at the rubble barricade.

Mr. Hegarty went on a number of Civil Rights marches before the one on 30 January 1972.  He and his brothers Paddy and Brendan were at Magilligan the week before.  He remembers the crowd exchanging abuse with the Paras and some of the soldiers saying something like “We’ll get you bastards next week in Derry.”

30 January 1972

Mr. Hegarty went on the march with his brothers in law; George Downey, George Cooley, Eamonn Quigley and John Kelly.  Michael Kelly left separately with his friends Jim Brennan and Zac Rooney.  There was a helicopter over head as they made their way to Bishop’s Field.  There was a huge crowd and everyone was excited at the size of the march.

Mr. Hegarty remembers walking down William Street next to John Young who was also killed at the rubble barricade.  They were about 50 yards behind the lorry which was leading the march.

First Gunfire

Mr. Hegarty said he heard a single high velocity gunshot as he passed the ‘laundry’ waste ground on the south side of William Street.  He just heard the one shot.  The lorry had already turned into Rossville Street ahead of him.  The march was still thick in William Street.  They had just passed Stephenson’s Bakery.  He believed the shot came from his left, from the area of the Presbyterian Church.  It sounded close.  He immediately looked to his left and saw a soldier standing on a ledge behind a small wall.  Only his upper body was visible above the wall.  His rifle was pointing towards the crowd.  He assumed it was this soldier who had fired.

John Johnston

People shouted “Was that a shot?” and “That’s a shot!”  Just after this he became aware of a man on the ground near him, to his right.  He had not seen him fall.  There was a huddle of people around him and they carried him to safety south along the waste ground.  He went to help.   People said he was shot in the leg and he therefore assumed the man would be OK.  He learnt latter that Damien Donaghy and John Johnston were shot at this time and he assumes it was Mr. Johnston who he helped to carry because he was a man not a boy.  He did not see Damien Donaghy.  He was not aware of anyone throwing stones at soldiers in the derelict building on William Street.  Nor was he aware of any rubber bullets having been fired.

Mr. Hegarty left Mr. Johnston and continued east along William Street.  Most of the marchers turned right into Rossville Street but he followed those who continued along William Street towards Waterloo Place.  George Downey and George Cooley both went south into Rossville Street.

Barrier 14

As he reached Quinn’s fish shop he saw the army barrier in William Street.  There were about 150 people in front of the barrier of whom about 15-20 were throwing stones.  He could not remember rubber bullets being fired and described it as a very minor riot.  It was more a case of mutual abuse than rioting.  When the army brought up the water cannon Mr. Hegarty ran back to the junction of Rossville Street and rejoined the march which was still filing into Rossville Street.

Gunfire in Rossville Street

He walked south down Rossville Street and past the rubble barricade.  He continued south passing the Rossville Flats and the north block of Joseph Place.  There he stopped facing Free Derry Corner with his back to William Street.  It was not possible to get any closer to the platform because of the crowd.  Bernadette Devlin was standing on the back of the lorry but before she started to speak there were cracking sounds coming from behind him.  Some people ducked and scattered whilst others remained where they were.  There was confusion as people were uncertain whether the noise was live gunfire or just rubber bullets.  Mr. Hegarty’s view was that he heard the sounds of lots of high velocity shots mixed with the sound of rubber bullets being fired.  However because the gunfire was some distance behind him it was difficult to be certain at the time.  People around him said it was rubber bullets and at first he assumed they must be right.  He could not see what was going on further north because there were too many people around.  Bernadette Devlin was trying to tell people to hold their ground.

After 3 to 4 minutes there was a lull in the shooting which lasted perhaps 8 to 10 minutes.  He wanted to see what was happening and pushed his way out of the crowd.  He went north back up towards the rubble barricade.  He stood in the crowd just to the south of the rubble barricade and could see what was happening beyond in Rossville Street.  He heard more sporadic shots but was still not certain it was live fire.  It sounded like high velocity gunfire but the crowd assumed it must be rubber bullets because they did not believe the army would fire on an unarmed crowd.

Rubble Barricade

Someone shouted that someone was hit at the barricade but another person said it was just a rubber bullet.  The gunfire was coming from the area of Kells Walk but at this stage he could not see the soldiers.  The next thing he remembers is seeing people, 2 or 3, lying on the barricade on the west side closer to Glenfada Park than the Rossville Flats.  At this stage he thought they could have been taking cover rather than been shot.  People went to assist them.  He did not recognise Michael Kelly as being amongst those who had fallen.  Mr. Hegarty identified himself in the centre foreground of photograph EP0027.0007 [marked copy at AH0065.0021].  This shows a small crowd at the rubble barricade, including Michael Kelly.  There is no one on the ground at this stage.

The next thing he remembers is a continuous burst of gunfire.  They sounded the same as the others only louder and closer.  He then saw an army Saracen (armoured car or pig) moving south down Rossville Street.  It was travelling quite fast and stopped near Eden Place/Pilot Row.  The Saracens were noisy and people shouted that they were coming.  He then saw 4 or 5 soldiers who appeared to come from the back of the vehicle, at least 2 were wearing berets.  They ran across Rossville Street towards the pram way at the south end of Kells Walk.  The first two ran and took up firing positions behind the low wall at the south end of Kells Walk.  They aimed their rifles towards the rubble barricade.  There was a crowd of 100 to 150 at the rubble barricade.  Some had stones but the soldiers were too far away to be hit.

Firing from the Hip

The third soldier was carrying a back pack, possibly a radio.  As he reached the middle of Rossville Street he swung his rifle around and began firing recklessly from the hip towards the barricade.  He fired a number of rounds, perhaps 7 or 8.  He definitely fired before he reached the Kells Walk wall.  Mr. Hegarty said he believed this soldier was wearing a beret.

Michael McDaid

At about this time Mr. Hegarty’s attention was draw to a boy walking south through the gap in the rubble barricade.  This was Michael McDaid.  As the solider fired the boy looked back over his shoulder and stopped as if mesmerised.  Mr. Hegarty said the position in which he saw Michael McDaid was similar to that in which he is pictured in photograph P0597.

There was total panic as the soldiers opened fire.  He knew the soldier he had seen was firing live rounds and he shouted “He’s firing live rounds!”  Everybody ran.  He did not see what happened to Michael McDaid but later learnt he had been killed.  He ran south, crouching as he ran.  He veered left towards Joseph Place and then ran along Joseph Place to St. Columb’s Wells.  The shooting was continuous and he felt very exposed as he ran.  Everywhere around him there were people running in panic.  Some tripped and fell.

Bullet Grazed Shoulder

As he stepped onto the pavement outside Joseph Place he felt a burning sensation in his left shoulder.  He just kept running.  He did not stop until he was in St. Columb’s Wells.  The shooting stopped after a few minutes but he was still too afraid to move.  After about 15 minutes he walked back north to Free Derry Corner and turned left into Lecky Road.  People were saying people had been shot dead at the rubble barricade but he did not stop to talk.  He wanted to get to Westland Street and up to the Creggan where he felt he would be safe.

He stopped in Westland Street in a state of shock.  He talked to people and slowly news filtered through of what had happened.  It was only now that he examined his shoulder and found two bullet holes, an entry and exit hole, in his jacket where it had bunched up as he crouched.  There was a scorch mark across his left shoulder.  He believed a bullet had come from behind him and passed through his jacket skimming his shoulder.

He went back to his mother in law’s house in the Creggan.  No one knew Michael Kelly had been shot when he got there.  He was there when at about 18:00 Mrs. Kelly’s brother, Taylor McCauley, came in to break the bad news.  Michael’s father went to the hospital to identify the body.  When he came back he was outraged because the bodies have been dragged out of the Saracen at the hospital.

A few days later Mr. Hegarty handed his coat in to someone at the Bloody Sunday Trust.  He does not know what happened to it.  He never made a statement.  He never saw any point in doing so.  Everyone in Derry was stunned, many youths joined the IRA because of what happened.

Michael Kelly and John Young

Mr. Hegarty said he knew Michael Kelly well.  He did not go on all the marches.  He was quiet and lived at home with his parents.  He kept pigeons in a shed in the garden.  He only went because the march was so big and everyone went.  John Young was also a friend.  Mr. Hegarty described him as a gentleman and not the least bit interested in politics.

Conal McFeely

Made Statement to the Inquiry on 27 July 1999 [AM0216.0001]

Mr. McFeely was 18 years old on Bloody Sunday.  He described himself as a Civil Rights activist but he was not a member of any particular organisation.  He protested against Internment and gerrymandering and was occasionally involved in rioting.  His family were conservative and politics were not a high priority.  He was influenced by the student protests in France and the black civil rights movement in America.

30 January 1972

On the morning of 30 January 1972 Gerard Donaghy called at his house to ask if his brother Denis McFeely was going on the march.  He went away and returned later when the three of them left together to go to the march.  Mr. McFeely said Gerard Donaghy definitely did not have any nail bombs on him.  He knew this because he was wearing tight jeans and a denim jacket, not a Parka.  Nail bombs are bulky and they would have been obvious.  Mr. McFeely said he did not know at the time that Gerard Donaghy was a member of the Fianna, the youth wing of the Republican movement.

On they way to the march they met Frankie McCarron, Jim Begley and Hugh O’Donnell.  Mr. McFeely did not remember being with Patrick O’Hagan or Kieran McLaughlin but said he would not be surprised if they met up at some point.  The march was very big and there was laughter and singing as they set off.  The atmosphere was relaxed.  They debated whether or not the march would be allowed into the City centre.  He knew if the army stopped them from going to the Guildhall there would be a confrontation.  He believed no one had the right to stop them marching to their own city centre.

Tension mounted as they saw soldiers on Francis Street.  It was unusual for soldiers to come that far west.  There was some jeering but no missiles were thrown.

Barrier 14

Mr. McFeely said he made his way to the front of the march by the time it reached the army barrier in William Street.  He had lost his companions, including Gerard Donaghy, by this time.  The older people were anxious to prevent any confrontation but the stewards could not stop everyone.   About 100 youths engaged in rioting at barrier 14 whilst more watched.  No nail bombs or petrol bombs were thrown, just stones and bottles.  The army responded with rubber bullets.  Mr. McFeely stood behind a sheet of corrugated iron held by some of the protestors as a shield against rubber bullets.  He threw some stones and bottles.  He got a touch of the CS gas but avoided being sprayed by the water cannon.

Paras Coming In

He then heard shouts that the army was coming in and he assumed there was a snatch squad coming.  He ran south down Chamberlain Street and turned right into Eden Place and out onto the waste ground.  He continued to run south and heard the noise of army vehicles and shouts of “they’re coming!”

Mr. McFeely said he recalled seeing two Saracens on the waste ground near Pilot Row.  He was asked if the vehicles could have been at Eden Place, close to the back of the Chamberlain Street houses, and in the mouth of the Rossville Flats car park (where Lieutenant N and Sergeant O’s pigs are known to have stopped) but he said his recollection was that they were at Pilot Row.  He recalled one was facing north east with its back doors open (Lieutenant N’s pig).  Mr. McFeely said he was caught between running and confronting the soldiers as they got out.  As he bent down to pick up a stone or bottle he saw a soldier get out of the pig facing north east and point his rifle at hip height towards people running into the Rossville Flats car park.  His uniform looked different to those he was used to seeing in Derry.  He then heard the sound of 3 or 4 live rounds and assumed the soldier he had seen had fired.  However he accepted he did not know who had fired.  He just heard the shots.  He did not recall hearing rubber bullets being fired.

Jackie Duddy

He then ran south into the car park heading for a low wall in front of Block 2.  There were people running in all directions.  As he was at the mouth of the car park he saw a youth in front of him and to his right, i.e. closer to Block 1, stumble to the ground.  He was clutching his shoulder as he went down.  Mr. McFeely marked his own position and that of the boy on a plan [AM0216.0013 red arrow - Mr. McFeely, ‘D’ – boy].  He did not know if the boy was shot or had just tripped but he heard someone shout he had been shot.  He just kept running and did not look back.

He dived over the low wall and kept his head down as the shooting continued.  There were a lot of people behind the wall and some went back to help the boy who had fallen.  He did not know Jackie Duddy.  Whilst behind the wall he could hear people shouting but the only gunfire he heard was from the army.

Bernard McGuigan

During a lull in the shooting he made for the gap between Blocks 2 and 3 and then came back west along the south side of Block 2.  At the telephone kiosk he saw the body of an elderly man who appeared to have been shot in the head.  He was lying on his back and there was a thick pool of blood around him.  He felt frightened and sick.  His only thought was to get home to safety.

He headed towards Westland Street where he met Mr. McCarron, Frankie’s father.  He asked about Frankie but Mr. McFeely said he had not seen him.  Mr. McCarron then told him to look for his brother Denis before going home.  He went back to look for his brother but could not find him so returned home alone.  About half an hour later Denis arrived with news that Gerard Donaghy had been shot.

Murder

Mr. McFeely said protests and rioting were common in Derry at the time.  Nothing justified the shootings on Bloody Sunday.  No one was expecting the army to shoot innocent civilians.  It was murder.  In addition to Gerard Donaghy he also knew the three men killed at the rubble barricade.  He described John Young as quiet and conservative.  He knew him from school.  Michael Kelly was a good footballer and like John Young he was not the rioting type.  He said William Nash and Gerard Donaghy were more like himself, i.e. politically committed to Civil Rights, but he did not see either engaged in rioting on Bloody Sunday.

Mr. McFeely said the events of Bloody Sunday impacted on everyone in Derry and throughout Ireland and Britain.  A generation was alienated from so called British justice and a large number of his peers joined paramilitary groups to bring about political change.  As a result many ended up in prison.  He was never in the IRA himself.  He said the British Government had to acknowledge what its soldiers had done and there had to be justice for the families in order for everyone to move on.

Keville Tape

Mr. McFeely did not recall making a tape recorded interview the day after Bloody Sunday.  He did recall giving a statement to a woman he believed was a teacher but the process was chaotic.  There were lots of people waiting to make statements and several were giving statements at the same time.  Everyone was very emotional.  He did not remember a tape recorder.  He was played a recording of an interview he apparently gave to a Ms. Keville but did not recognise his voice.  He agreed however that the contents of the interview reflected some of what he had seen.  A brief typed draft statement dated 31 January 1972 appears at AM0216.0010.  It carries his correct address but his name is incorrectly recorded as Colum rather than Conal.  A transcript of the tape made by the Inquiry appears at AM0216.0012.  In that Mr. McFeely refers to seeing someone hit a soldier before himself being hit and thrown into the back of a Saracen.  He said he does not now recall the incident.  He also refers to Gerard Donaghy being hit in the shoulder in the Rossville Flats car park.  Mr. McFeely said this was a mistake and he was referring to Jackie Duddy.

Praxis

Mr. McFeely also gave an interview to Tony Stark from Praxis in 1991 [AM0216.0011].  He said he did not recall the interview and the notes were inaccurate in so far as they refer to his brother’s convictions.

Peter Taylor – Inside Story

Mr. McFeely also gave a lengthy interview to the BBC journalist Peter Taylor in 1991 [transcript at I0202].  In separate notes made by Peter Taylor [M0076.0044] Mr. McFeely is recorded as having said he was with his brother, Frankie McCarron, Hugh O’Donnell, Jim Begley, Patrick O’Hagan and Kieran McLaughlin.  The note also records “exciting times, bombs and stones, never thought anything serious”.  Mr. McFeely said the reference to bombs was to petrol bombs which were thrown at riots.

Manus McDaid

Made statement to the Inquiry on 3 March 1999 [AM0169.0001]

Mr. McDaid was 26 years old on Bloody Sunday.  He was not a member of any organisation but was interested in Civil Rights and supported most of the marches at that time.

Mr. McDaid went on the march with his wife.  They joined it near the back at St. Eugene’s Cathedral.  The first thing he could remember was the march splitting at the junction of William Street and Rossville Street.  He and his wife continued up William Street to barrier 14.  They were 4 or 5 rows back from the barrier.  The crowd started shouting abuse at the soldiers at the barrier and this was not unusual.  The soldiers looked unruffled by the abuse and the odd stone that was thrown.  It was not really a riot, just cat calling and the odd stone.  There were about 100 to 150 in the crowd.

The stone throwing escalated and the army brought up the water cannon.  He and his wife immediately walked back west along William Street towards Rossville Street.  They was no tension or panic, they just decided to get out of the way.  There was very little activity at Aggro Corner.  They were a few youths throwing stones on the waste ground north of William Street as they turned south down Rossville Street.  He felt slightly disappointed that such a big march had fragmented into a “run of the mill” riot.

Paras Coming In

When they were on Rossville Street between Eden Place and Pilot Row Mr. McDaid heard the sound of army vehicles and they started running south.  He did not see the vehicles but recognised the noise of the engines.  He was intending to head for the rubble barricade but his wife lead him towards the northern entrance to Block 1 of the Rossville Flats.  As they reached the entrance to the flats he saw a soldier at the south west corner of Chamberlain Street beating an old man with his rifle butt.  He was not conscious of any other soldiers.  He instinctively went to move towards the soldier to stop him striking the old man but his wife and another man he did not know restrained him.  He was then pulled into the stairwell of the flats.  He was not aware of any army vehicles before entering Block 1.

Gunfire

Once inside the stairwell Mr. McDaid heard gunfire outside.  He heard 2 or 3 loud, crisp bangs.  His impression was that it was live gunfire coming from the area of Chamberlain Street and the entrance to the Rossville Flats car park.  He and his wife got to the first floor balcony and entered the first flat at the north end of Block 1.  He thinks they may have had to force their way into the flat.  It was already full of people most of whom were lying on the floor for cover.  By this time he could hear volleys of shots which he thought were coming from Rossville Street.  He therefore went into the living room and looked out onto Rossville Street.

Mr. McDaid said he saw a pig parked near the south end of Kells Walk.  He said he was sure it was facing north with its doors open and facing the rubble barricade.  His attention was then drawn to a soldier standing on his own just below him in Rossville Street.  He was close to the rubble barricade standing still with his rifle at his shoulder in the aimed position.  Mr. McDaid said he saw him fire 6 or 7 aimed shots towards the rubble barricade which was out of sight to his left.  He described the soldier as stocky and less than 6 feet tall.  He was wearing a gas mask.  He saw the man’s body move with the recoil of each shot.  There was no muzzle flash.  The soldier was in no hurry, he did not attempt to take cover and they was no one obviously covering him.

Mr. McDaid also saw three men in army uniforms standing on the pram ramp at the south end of Kells Walk.  They were halfway up the ramp facing south down Rossville Street.  He believed these three men were officers and recalls them wearing peak caps and having pips on their shoulders.  He marked their position on a photograph [AM0169.0006].  One had binoculars and appeared to be looking beyond the rubble barricade towards Free Derry Corner.  There were 4 or 5 soldiers below them at ground level.  He did not see what happened to the officers.

Leaving the Flat

After something like 15 minutes the shooting stopped and Mr. McDaid and his wife left the flat.  They met a priest on the balcony who told them there were at least 6 people dead.  They ran south along the balcony to the stairwell at the south end of Block 1.  There was a large pool of blood on the stairs.  They left Block 1 by the door leading into the car park and made their way through the gap between Blocks 1 and 2.  Someone shouted to be careful because there was shooting from the city walls.  There was another pool of blood behind Block 1 but there was no body.

They then ran past Joseph Place and met Barney McFadden who also said there was gunfire from the walls.  They then ran down Lecky Road to his mother’s house in the Brandywell estate.  He did not hear any more gunfire having left the flats.

William Anderson (also known as PIRA 18)

Provisional IRA, Creggan, Derry 1972

Made Statement to the Inquiry January 2004 [APIRA0018.0001]

Mr. Anderson was granted anonymity by the Inquiry and was therefore referred to as PIRA 18.  However when he came to give evidence he said he was content to be named and therefore gave his name.

On 30 January 1972 Mr. Anderson was 18 and a member of the Creggan Company of the Provisional IRA.  He said so far as he was aware there were only two Companies in Derry, the Creggan and the Bogside.  There were two sections in the Creggan.  He joined the IRA shortly after Internment was introduced in August 1971.

Mr. Anderson said he was suspended from the Movement at the time of Bloody Sunday for having stolen a van belonging to the Official IRA.  The Officials parked their van outside his friend’s house where he also stayed.  They felt the van being there compromised their security, it was full of United Irishmen newspapers.  One night they drove it away and set it on fire.  However other members of the Creggan Company (PIRA) arrested them as they watched it burn.  It was either the section leader or the Company commander who suspended both of them for six weeks.  The suspension meant they were not invited to meetings or entitled to participate in any activities for six weeks.  Mr. Anderson said the man he was with at the time was still living in Derry but had not, so far as he was aware, given evidence to the Inquiry.  As a result of the suspension he was not privy to the Provisional IRA’s plans for Bloody Sunday.  However he did not believe there was any PIRA activity that day because he would have learnt of it subsequently had it occurred.  They did not burn the van because it belonged to the Official IRA but because they felt it compromised their security.

Although he was in the Provisional IRA he knew 6 or 7 of those in the Official IRA in Derry.  He also knew most of the PIRA Creggan Company but not those in the Bogside Company.  He said he thought there was a total of about 30 or 40 Provisional IRA volunteers in Derry.  They had very few guns and he had little to do with them.  He did not get involved in shootings.  He knew the identities of senior Republicans but did not know their roles.

Shooting of Peter McLaughlin and Peter Robson

On Saturday 29 January 1972 there was the usual Saturday riot in William Street.  Mr. Anderson was there with his friends Danny McLaughlin, Bernard McDaid and Peter Robson.  They were in Abbey Street, probably on their way to the riot, when Mr. Anderson heard a shot.  The next thing he saw was a man he later learnt to be Peter McLaughlin, holding his shoulder with blood running threw his fingers.  When he saw him Peter McLaughlin was in Colombcille Court/Kells Walk behind the Grandstand Bar on the south side of William Street.  He agreed however that Mr. McLaughlin may have been shot, as he himself says he was, on the ‘laundry’ waste ground close to the pavement on the south side of William Street and walked to the position in which he saw him.  He did not know Peter McLaughlin and had not seen what he was doing before he was shot.

Mr. Anderson and his three friends ran to help Mr. McLaughlin who slumped to the ground, conscious but too shocked to speak.  They were huddled around him behind the Grandstand Bar when another shot ran out and Peter Robson went down.  Mr. Robson was bending over Mr. McLaughlin when he was shot in the back from the direction of the Embassy Ballroom.  Mr. Anderson felt that had the bullet not hit Mr. Robson it would have hit him in the head.  He was very frightened and could see no reason why either man had been shot.  He felt the second shot had come from the army observation post on the roof of the Embassy Ballroom.  However a photograph taken from the roof on Bloody Sunday [P0245] suggests the rear of the Grandstand Bar was not visible from the observation post.  He said Mr. Robson was wrong when in a brief written statement made to the Inquiry [AR0037.0002] he said he and Peter McLaughlin were shot close to Abbey Street.  Mr. Robson, who has not given oral evidence, also said he was close to a man who threw a nail bomb from the laundry waste ground and that he was shot after he had run away and the nail bomb had exploded.  Mr. Anderson said this was also wrong.  Had a nail bomb been thrown he would not have been so surprised that the army had opened fire.

They managed to get both injured men into a Volkswagen and they were driven away.  He did not know where they were taken.  Mr. Anderson said he then went back to the friend’s house where he was staying and was physically sick.  He had never seen anyone shot before.

30 January 1972

The events the day before did not prevent him from going on the march the next day.  He was not particular nervous.  It was the biggest march of the time.  The first thing he remembers is walking down William Street with Danny McLaughlin.  They saw soldiers on the Presbyterian Church to their left and people shouted abuse at them.  Soldiers were an everyday sight and they did not bother him.  He and Danny McLaughlin are picture on the march in photograph P0840.

Barrier 14

When they got to the junction of William Street and Chamberlain Street there was already a riot in progress.  There were bottles and stones flying with the army replying with rubber bullets.  They were then approached by two people they did not know.  They said they had a CS gas grenade and asked for help in throwing it at the army.  Mr. Anderson recalls moving away from the riot down Chamberlain Street and going round into Waterloo Street to throw the grenade behind the army barrier in William Street.  However there was another army barrier in Waterloo Street and they could not have got around the back of William Street.  Mr. Anderson said that was what he remembered and he believed the grenade was thrown down William Street from the corner with Waterloo Place.  However he said if there were soldiers in Waterloo Street they would have thrown the CS gas at them.  They did not wait to see whether or not the gas canister exploded, they just ran back to the crowd in William Street.  He then joined in the stone throwing in William Street.

Mr. Anderson explained the canister was one of those the army had fired previously but had failed to explode.  It is known that a CS gas canister was thrown from the crowd in William Street when the water cannon was first deployed forcing it to withdraw but Mr. Anderson said this was not the one he knew about.  He did not see the water cannon.

Paras Coming In

At some point the crowd started to run west away from the barrier and he went with the crowd.  There were still around 100 in the crowd.  As he ran west he saw army vehicles coming south down Little James Street ahead of him.  He therefore turned left into Macari’s Lane and went out onto the waste ground.  He ran as fast as he could across the waste ground.  He was heading for the Rossville Flats car park because the army never came that far.  They always stopped at William Street and occasionally made a baton charge 30 or 40 meters down Rossville Street.

He ran through the gap between Blocks 1 and 2 and was almost carried off his feet by the crowd.  This was when he first heard live SLR fire.  There were 2 or 3 shots.  This was the first gunfire he heard that day.  Once beyond the Rossville Flats he turned left and went between Joseph Place and the steps heading up to Fahan Street East.

Joseph Place

Mr. Anderson said he could not remember how he came to be there but he ended up in the northern most flat in Joseph Place.  He did not know who lived in the flat but there were a number of people sheltering there including two Belfast girls who were hysterical.   They were screaming at the tops of their voices.  He had lost his friend Danny by this time.  He did not know how long he was in the flat but he remembers the girls screaming about a priest waving a white handkerchief in Rossville Street and that the soldiers were going to shoot him.  He left the flat because of the girls screaming even though there was still gunfire. 

Blucher Street

Mr. Anderson headed towards the Bog and somehow ended up in Blucher Street.  He does not remember how he got there.  He thinks he went through Lisfannon Park but said he could not see himself having run across Rossville Street whilst the shooting was continuing.  He did not go there for any particular reason, he was not trying to find other IRA men.  He just wanted to get out of the Bogside.

Michael Quinn

When he was standing at the bookies in Blucher Street with a crowd of about 40 people a man approached.  He had been shot in the face and his right cheek was missing.  He did not see the man shot or discover the circumstances in which he was shot.  There was still shooting going on in the Bogside at the time and people were talking about people who had been shot.  Mr. Anderson became concerned about his younger brother who was only 14 and he decided he had to go back to try and find him.

Abbey Park

He went back, probably via Lisfannon Park, and ended up in Abbey Park.  The shooting had stopped by this point.  A man called him into a house on the corner of Abbey Park.  There was a crowd outside the house but he did not know who the man was who called him over.  If the house he entered was Mr. Rogan’s then it might have been him but he did not know him at the time.  The man asked him if he could identify either of injured men in the house.  As he approached the door Michael Kelly, who he knew well, was being carried out as if he were sitting in a chair.  He could tell immediately that he was dead.   His face was very grey.  The other injured man in the house was lying on the floor face down.  He did not know him at the time but now believes this was James Wray.

Gerard McKinney

On leaving the house he saw a crowd around another body lying on some steps.  He could not recognise the scene of people gathered around the body of Gerard McKinney from photographs taken at the time.  All he remembered was a body lying on some steps.

Hugh Gilmore, Bernard McGuigan

He then made his way back to Block 1 of the Rossville Flats where he said he recalled seeing two bodies outside the entrance leading onto Rossville Street.  Although they were covered he recognised Hugh Gilmore from his jeans.  There was another body next to his and a third around the corner behind Block 1.  The third was Bernard McGuigan covered with the Civil Rights banner.  Although he has seen photographs showing Hugh Gilmore’s body behind Block 1 he is fairly sure he saw him and another man lying outside the entrance to Block 1 on Rossville Street.

Later on he saw his section leader who had a look of total disbelief.  He cannot remember when or where this was.  He asked about his suspension, feeling they should do something.  He was told to come and see him after the funerals.  At no stage had he seen anyone shot or any soldier fire.  Nor did he see any civilian with a weapon.  He knew nothing about shootings alleged to have taken place by any IRA volunteer on Bloody Sunday.  However when questioned by Edwin Glasgow QC, representing many of the military witnesses, he admitted he would not tell the Inquiry if he did.  The IRA never used marches as cover to attack the army because of the risk to marchers from return fire.

Mr. Anderson said he doubted there was any truth in the stories about Martin McGuinness firing on Bloody Sunday or being involved with George McEvoy and PIRA 17 in an incident at the bookies in William Street.  He said were any of it true he would have heard about it before.

Mr. Anderson knew Michael Kelly, Hugh Gilmore, John Young, William Nash and Kevin McElhinney.  So far as he was aware none of them was involved in the Republican Movement.  He did not know Gerard Donaghy.

Dermot Liddy

Fianna, Derry 1972

Made statement to the Inquiry on 8 January 2004 [AL0011.0001]

Mr. Liddy was 32 on Bloody Sunday.  He was the leader of the Fianna in Derry since it was reformed in 1969.  However by 1971 he had ceased to play an active role and was only a nominal leader.  Gerry O’hEara was the effective leader at the time of Bloody Sunday.  The two of them met roughly every other week.

Mr. Liddy went on the march and followed it down Rossville Street to Free Derry Corner.  He was there when the shooting started and he ran into Meenan Square.  He then went up Westland Street and stopped a while in Blucher Street.  There was panic and no one knew what was happening.  People said others had been shot.  At some point after the army had withdrawn he returned to Rossville Street but still could not find out what had happened.  It was only later when he saw the television news that he became aware of what had happened.

Derry was in a state of shock afterwards.  Shops were shut and deliveries suspended.  Even Post Offices and bars were shut.  There was a feeling of doom.

Gerard Donaghy

Mr. Liddy said he was particularly shocked at Gerard Donaghy’s death because he knew him well.  He was a member of the Fianna.  He had been arrested in April 1971 when Mr. Liddy was working as a bus conductor.  He was arrested with two others after watching football at Bull Park.  Gerry O’hEara asked Mr. Liddy to give evidence at the trial because he could confirm they were at the football match and not rioting as alleged.  However there was no trial because the three of them went to Limerick and skipped bail.  They stayed with a Republican family but Gerard Donaghy got homesick and came back and gave himself up.  He was sent to prison for rioting.  He was released just before Christmas 1971.

Mr. Liddy said he did not see Gerard Donaghy again until 29 January 1972 when he warned him not to get involved in rioting on the Sunday.  He said he knew the Paras were in Derry and told Gerry should keep away.  Mr. Liddy also said that everyone knew the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association had asked both wings of the IRA to stay away.  However there was bound to be a riot and he advised Gerry not to get involved in case he got arrested and was sent back to prison.  He told all Fianna members Bloody Sunday was the Civil Rights Association’s day.  There were no Fianna flags or tricolours on the march.  He told them he would be on the march and that they were not to get involved in rioting.

Mr. Liddy said he could not believe Gerard Donaghy had had nail bombs on him on Bloody Sunday.  He described him as placid and not aggressive.  He said he did not believe Raymond Rogan would have allowed a boy with nail bombs in his pockets into his car.

Fianna Eireann

Mr. Liddy said he was encouraged to set up the Fianna in Derry in the late 1960s as an alternative to the Red Cap Clubs set up by the Royal Military Police.  Senior Republicans wanted a something for the youth which was a counter-culture to that being offered by the British army.  The Fianna was open to boys between the age of 8 and 18.  People with Republican sympathies sent their sons to learn about Irish history, go on hikes and attend Republican commemorations.  Mr. Liddy was elected officer commanding (OC) and his appointment was ratified by the national Fianna leadership in Dublin.  The Fianna was completely autonomous and not linked to the IRA.  It was not a military organisation. They did have a uniform which they wore on parades.

There were only about 20 members.  Some wanted to learn Gaelic and Mr. Liddy arranged classes.  Patsy Moore was another of the adult leadership, he was like a scout master.  They had no meeting place so met at Mr. Liddy’s small house or on the street.

Mr. Liddy said there was only ever one Fianna.  It was not effected by the split when the Provos were formed in 1970.  He said that when boys reached 18 some did join the IRA but he told both the Provisional and Official leadership to “lay off” until the boys were 18.  He said the Republican leadership would not use boys as young as 14-16.  He denied there was ever any form of weapons training for any of the boys in the Fianna.  He denied that Paddy Ward was ever in the Fianna.  However Mr. Liddy accepted that his involvement was minor by 1972 and he had no knowledge of any move over to the Provisionals as described by some including Gerry O’hEara.  Mr. O’hEara was the effective OC with Mr. Liddy acting in an advisory capacity.  Patsy Moore was no longer involved by 1972.  He had taught them how to drill.  They trained on the football pitch at Bull Park.  They did not act as scouts for the IRA.

There was no swearing in to join the Fianna.  Denis McFeely (Donncha MacFicheallaigh) was never in the Fianna.  He and Mr. Liddy were friends.

Mr. Liddy was also a member of the Civil Rights Association.  He joined in 1967.  There was never any attempt by the Republican movement to take over the Civil Rights Association, its senior members would not have allowed it and besides the Republican did not have the people to do it.

Mr. Liddy refuted Paddy Ward’s claims about Fianna involvement with weapons and explosives.  He knew nothing about an alleged nail bombing operation on Bloody Sunday.  He said that following the accidental death of a 15 year old boy in a house in Derry in 1960 the Army Council in Dublin issued standing orders that no one under 18 be given weapons training.  Youngsters like Paddy Ward would certainly not have been told about the location of weapons dumps.  These would have been closely guarded secrets.

Intelligence Documents

Mr. Liddy is referred to in connection with the Fianna in several RUC Special Branch interviews of unnamed detainees.  In INT0001.0176 there is a reference to the Fianna meeting in Mr. Liddy’s house.  Mr. Liddy agreed they did meet at his house sometimes but denied suggestions in INT0001.0042 that: Denis McFeely was a member; Gerry O’hEara sought to obtain Special Branch car number plates or targeted an RUC officer named George Ruddell.  He also denied any knowledge of weekend camps in Fahan, Donegal.  He said there was no weapons training of Fianna members.  He also denied [INT0001.0333] Fianna members were involved in the theft of army uniforms on 9 January 1972 or that Gerard Donaghy was involved in weapons training whilst in Limerick [INT0001.0317].  He said much of the Special Branch material was nonsense and had probably been forced out of frightened teenagers.

Mary Margaret McCourt

Made Statement to the Inquiry on 31 October 2001 [AM0501.0001]

Ms. McCourt was 28 years old on Bloody Sunday.  She went on the march with her parents and a next door neighbour.  She remembers the march going down William Street and stopping to speak to a taxi driver called Alec Bradley who was seeing her sister at the time.  There were talking at the taxi stand on William Street.

Gunfire

The next thing Ms. McCourt remembers is hearing someone say something like “That’s a live round.”  She didn’t hear the shot herself but became very frightened.  She could not remember what was happening at the time but she thought there was still a large crowd in William Street.  She hadn’t seen anyone throwing stones.

She was so frightened she went straight into the taxi office.  She went into the small waiting room.  She didn’t hear any shooting outside.  Alec Bradley wasn’t in the waiting room.  He either remained outside or was in the hallway. 

Scuffle

The next thing she remembers is a commotion in the hallway.  She did not know how long she had been in the waiting room before this happened.  She did not see what was going on in the hall but someone told her a man had run into the office and was followed by soldiers.  The next thing soldiers came into the waiting room.  She remembers at least one who had an English accent and was hyped up.  He looked frightened.  There was a glaze in his eyes that frightened her.  She was frightened his rifle might go off accidentally.

There was then a scuffle between the soldier and another man in the room.  The soldier may have hit him with his rifle but she could not remember for certain.  She thinks the man may have been a taxi driver called Frankie Boyle.  He was not hurt and he may have been trying to force the soldier out of the room.  The soldier then left.

Photographs

At some point she went out and put her head out of the front door.  There is a photograph of Ms. McCourt at the door to the taxi firm with Alec Bradley to her right [ EP0005.0021].  She does not know the identities of the others in the photograph.  She thought the photograph may have been taken before the scuffle inside but again she was unsure.

There are two other photographs of the entrance to the cab office.  An earlier picture [EP0005.0019] shows a middle aged couple in front of the door but Ms. McCourt was unable to identify them.  A later one [EP0005.0022] shows another man with his back to the camera.  Ms. McCourt said this could be John Bradley.

Patrick O’Donnell

The next thing she remembers is being in a car which was packed with people including an injured man.  They were all sitting on top of each other.  She said the injured man was young but no teenager.  She could not remember anything about his appearance but he had blood running down his forehead.  Someone else in the car said he had been shot in the shoulder.  She has a vague memory that the injured man came from the cab office.  She assumes therefore that he was the man chased into the cab office.  She recalls the man being concerned about having lost his shoes.  She remembers thinking he was a big lad to have lost his shoes.  He kept repeating “Me Ma will kill me because I’ve lost my shoes” and she thought he was in shock.

The wounded man was dropped off at a first aid post in the Creggan.  Someone else probably got out with him.  She then returned to her parents house.

Patrick O’Donnell made a statement to a DC Gillanders whilst recovering at Altnagelvin Hospital on 4 February 1972.  He was 41 years old on Bloody Sunday and was shot in the shoulder whilst in Glenfada Park North.  He made his way up to William Street and realising he was injured someone took him into the cab office.  Ms. McCourt said she did not recall him coming in.  He was then told to go outside by a soldier and was hit on the head by another soldier wielding a baton.  A priest intervened, pointing out he was injured and after being taken back into the cab office for a while he was driven to a first aid centre in the Creggan.

Christopher Clarke QC, counsel to the Inquiry, and Edwin Glasgow QC both suggested their might be some doubt as to whether the man Ms. McCourt had seen was in fact Mr. O’Donnell.  Other witnesses, Alec Bradley and Frankie Boyle give slightly varying accounts of the incident [AB0055.0003 and AB0048.0003 respectively] and Mr. O’Donnell was older than any of them had described.  However Ms. McCourt said she believed it was Mr O’Donnell that she saw and her account fits with much of what Mr. Bradley and Mr. Boyle say.

PIRA 1

Volunteer Provisional IRA, Derry 1972.

Made Statement to the Inquiry on 8 January 2004 [AM0508.0001]

PIRA 1 was granted anonymity and was screened from view from the public and the families.  In 1972 he was a member of the Provisional IRA.  He joined shortly before internment.

30 January 1972

PIRA 1 made his own decision to go on the march, he did not seek or require permission.  He was not on duty and was not carrying a weapon.  He was not expecting trouble although he knew there was a possibility of a riot at the end of the march.

PIRA 1 said he was at the riot in William Street but did not remember throwing stones himself.  However he said he probably did.  He was told two men had been shot but he did not hear any gunfire himself.  The next thing he remembers is a confrontation at Colombcille Court.

Colombcille Court Confrontation

PIRA 1 said he did not know how he came to be there but he was at a stairway in Colombcille Court with Sean Keenan.  He had not been with Sean Keenan earlier.  He said he could have been directed to the stairwell or could have gone there because he heard a shot but he cannot now recall.   He did hear a shot but cannot say when it occurred.  He was angry because he understood both the Provos and the Officials had agreed not to take any action during the march.  He felt the presence of gunmen endangered people on the march.

He remembers running up concrete stairs in Colombcille Court where he saw two men he knew to be in the Official IRA.  OIRA 1 had a bolt action rifle and the other man may have been OIRA 2.  He could not recall anyone else being there.  There may have been a crowd but he cannot remember one.  He does not remember any other members of either IRA.  There was a heated exchange of words as they asked what the hell they were doing firing during the march.  OIRA 1 said the army had shot two people and they were not going to get away with it.  PIRA 1 said he thinks OIRA 1 pointed the gun in his stomach and threatened to shoot him.  However something was said to calm the situation and the confrontation lasted only a minute.  He is sure the two Officials agreed not to fire again and it all blew over.  They parted company and PIRA 1 went to Glenfada Park North with Sean Keenan.

Paras Coming In

On his way to Glenfada Park PIRA 17 heard the revving of Saracen engines.  He then heard shooting.  It was SLR fire.  There was a lot of it but he had no idea what the army were shooting at.  He ran from Glenfada Park North into Glenfada Park South but then decided to go back.  He said he could not really explain his decision other than it was spontaneous and he felt there might be people in need of help.  He cannot remember what happened to Sean Keenan but believes he carried on into Glenfada Park South.

PIRA 1 ended up with a group of people at the south gable wall of the east block of Glenfada Park North.  He is one of those pictured in photograph EP0023.0012. 

Rubble Barricade

Whilst at the gable wall PIRA 1 became aware of people struggling to get to safety from the rubble barricade.  There was a lot of shooting at this time and he crawled out behind a low wall leading from the gable wall towards the rubble barricade.  From there he managed to coax a friend, George Roberts, and another man, Dennis McLaughlin, to safety.  They both crawled backwards from the barricade towards PIRA 1 at the low wall.  He does not remember seeing anyone shot at the barricade or in Glenfada Park.  Nor does he recall seeing any bodies.  He kept his head down.

Arrested

Very shortly after Roberts and McLaughlin made it to the safety of the gable wall everyone there was arrested as the Paras took control of Glenfada Park North.  PIRA 1 did not see any of the Paras firing in Glenfada Park.  They were lined up against a wall and then marched away.  They were taken to Fort George.  A fair haired RUC officer pointed him out at Fort George.  He was photographed with Soldier 033 [ARR0039.0001] and then transferred to Ballykelly.  He said his treatment at Ballykelly was horrific but did not want to go into it.  He was interned without trial until May or June 1972.

PIRA 1 said there were only about 30 Provisional IRA volunteers in January 1972 and that of these he was one of only about 12 who were trained.  He could not believe how much membership had grown by the time he was released.  He had little knowledge of the Fianna but said they would not be involved in using nail bombs.  They were young lads used to scout.

Paul Mahon

PIRA 1 was interviewed by Paul Mahon but denies threatening him.  He agreed to be interviewed because Michael Bradley asked him to.  He did tell Mahon about the confrontation with OIRA 1 at Colombcille Court but this was ‘off the record’, i.e. the tape was switched off [transcript at X4.0051.0001].

Kathryn Johnson

Nicholas Moss, representing many of the military witnesses, asked PIRA 1 about Kathryn Johnston’s notes [M0112.0048] for the Preface to the second edition of her book Martin McGuinness - From Guns to Government.   Ms Johnston refers to an IRA volunteer leaving a hand gun in a hedge in Glenfada Park and then being arrested.  She also alleges the same volunteer went back to collect it a few days later. PIRA 1 said it sounded like a fabrication.

Donncha MacFicheallaigh (Denis McFeely)

Made Statements to the Inquiry on 15 November 1999 [AM0007.0007] and 12 January 2004 [AM0007.0081]

Donncha MacFicheallaigh was 17 years old on Bloody Sunday.  He had wanted to go on the anti-Internment march at Magilligan the week before but his parents would not let him.  Gerard Donaghy was a close friend and he came to the house that morning.  They went to Bishop’s Field together with his brother Conal and his parents.  There he also met up with Jim Begley and Frankie McCarron.  Later he met Hugh O’Donnell, Kieran McLaughlin and Paddy O’Hagan.  He was with Conal and Gerard Donaghy most of the time until they became separated somewhere on William Street between Rossville Street and Chamberlain Street.

Mr. MacFicheallaigh said he saw soldiers crouching on waste ground near the swimming baths.  He thought they might have been Paras because their uniforms were unusual.  Others said there were soldiers in the derelict Richardson’s factory on William Street.  He saw about 6 soldiers there.  There was an exchange of verbals with the crowd but he did not recall any stones being thrown.

Seeing these soldiers, who were definitely armed increased the tension in the crowd.  It was feared the soldiers might provoke trouble in the crowd.  He then saw smoke coming from the area of barrier 14 and people retreating having been covered with purple dye from the water cannon.  He knew then that there would be a riot.

Barrier 14

Mr. MacFicheallaigh was inquisitive and wanted to see what was going on.  He and Gerard Donaghy went to the junction of William Street and Chamberlain Street from where they could see the army barrier.  He said he could not join in the rioting because there were too many people in front of him.

Damien Donaghy and John Johnston

He then heard a shout that someone had been shot and his impression was that this had happened further back down William Street.  The crowd were tense.  He became very apprehensive and decided he did not want to get caught up in a riot situation.  He retraced his steps along William Street and lost Gerard Donaghy somewhere along the way.  He had not been at the barrier long.

When he got back to the ‘laundry’ waste ground he could still see people jeering at the soldiers in the derelict building.  They may have been throwing stones.  He did not see anyone who had been injured.  Most of the march was heading down Rossville Street so he decided to follow and cut across the waste ground into Colombcille Court.  He could feel the effects of the CS gas which was in the air.  As he entered the alleyway between Colombcille Court and Kells Walk he heard the sound of army engines revving.  He looked to his left and saw three APCs driving down Rossville Street.

Paras Coming In

He continued south and then heard gunfire on the other side of Kells Walk.  He could not see what was happening but it sounded like high velocity gunfire.  There were people sheltering in the stairwells of Colombcille Court and he joined them for a while.  He then continued south until he could see past the south end of Kells Walk onto the waste ground.  There he saw soldiers in gas masks.  Some were standing around others were grappling with people.  He saw one man on the ground and thought he may have been shot but on reflection he thinks he had been knocked to the ground by a soldier.  Some of the soldiers had rifles others had batons.

He also saw soldiers at the north gable end of Block 1 of the Rossville Flats and at the low wall at the south end of Kells Walk.  Some of the soldiers there were wearing red berets.  He continued south into Glenfada Park North which he entered via the north east entrance.

Glenfada Park North

On entering Glenfada Park North Mr. MacFicheallaigh continued across the courtyard to a position just south of the centre from where he could see both the south east and south west corners.  He saw a crowd of people sheltering at the gable wall to his left.  They seemed frightened to go or look into Rossville Street. Others were hiding behind slatted fences in the courtyard.  There was a group of people clustered around what he assumed was an injured person.  He thinks this must have been Michael Kelly.  Mr. Kelly was carried from the south east corner across to the south west where people were making their way out.  He was fearful the Paras would come into the square and the fear was obviously shared as everyone made for the south west exit or melted into houses.

The gunfire by this time sounded more deliberate, it was more sporadic.  As he walked towards the south west corner someone shouted behind him “there are the Brits” or something like that.  He turned to see two Paras, possibly more, enter from the north east and move into the courtyard around two parked cars.  The two Paras ran into the courtyard but seemed to hesitate when they saw the crowd at the east gable wall.  At first he thought everyone would be arrested.

William McKinney and Joe Mahon

Mr. MacFicheallaigh said the exit out of the courtyard was jammed with people and he presumed this was because the group carrying Michael Kelly was blocking the exit.  He could not escape and turned to see two Paras about 12 yards from the south end of the courtyard.  Two men were running east to west along the south side of the square and the Paras swung their rifles at waist height.  There were two short bursts of gunfire and both men went down.  He saw them fall and heard the shots.  The Paras had to have shot them, firing from the hip.

James Wray

Mr. MacFicheallaigh ran towards the south west exit and a man next to him tripped and fell.  He did not know if he had been shot or just fell.  There was a crush and he knew not everyone would make it out.  It was impossible to take cover and he could not even lie down because there were too many people.  Then there were more shots and he sensed someone fall behind him.  He believes this was probably James Wray.  He fell on the edge of the pavement in the south west corner. 

Mr. MacFicheallaigh stepped in behind a wall and in a brief glance back he saw two more Paras enter from the north east.  James Wray’s head was very close to him and facing towards Abbey Park.  He did not see him move and was not aware he was shot more than once.  He cannot say how many shots were fired.

Michael Quinn

The wall at which he sheltered was the side wall of the gardens at the south end of the courtyard.  There were at least two others at the wall.  After about 30 seconds a man said “I’m not staying here” and stepped out.  He took two steps towards Abbey Park and was shot in the face.  He was hit in the cheek and his face opened up.  He saw the inside of his mouth and was splattered with blood.  He later discovered the man was Michael Quinn.  Mr. MacFicheallaigh grabbed his arm and another man, possibly Ciaran McLaughlin, grabbed the other.  They ran with Michael Quinn out into Abbey Park and south across Fahan Street West.  They took him to Lisfannon Park and laid him down.  He thinks they took him to the Murray’s house.

Mr. MacFicheallaigh said he had no knowledge of two youths Michael Quinn says he saw with nail bombs in Glenfada Park.  Nor did he see a man shot in the leg lying next to him as he sheltered at the wall.  He said he thought his evidence as to when and where Mr. Quinn was shot was probably more accurate than Mr. Quinn’s.  He says he was shot as he was running towards the south west corner.

Mr. MacFicheallaigh then retraced his steps back towards Abbey Park.  Someone said there were bodies in Glenfada Park and he was conscious of having seen several people fall.  There were 3 or 4 others with him and they were over taken by Evelyn Lafferty who ran past.  They all had their hands in the air or on their heads.  He met Pat Doherty (not the Patrick Doherty killed on Bloody Sunday) who broke down in front of him saying he had seen a man with his hands in the air shot.

He remembers looking at a soldier standing in Abbey Park close to the south west exit of Glenfada Park North.  He had his hands up as he watched the soldier from just north of Fahan Street.  There was a body lying on the ground in front of the soldier.  The soldier had his gun raised in front of him with the barrel pointing over his left shoulder.  Mr. MacFicheallaigh froze as they made eye contact.  After a moment the Para retreated back into Glenfada Park.  He could not describe him.  He does not recall any more shooting.

Gerard McKinney

As soon as the soldier left people came out from their hiding places and gathered around the body.  He also approached.  The man was lying on his back with his head pointing south.  He was on the steps.  For a moment he feared the man was his father but realised he was not when he got closer.  A para-medic was trying to resuscitate him.

At the same time there was a body being carried towards them from Glenfada Park and he remembers seeing a third in Glenfada Park.  He was half on and half off the curb and may have been Jim Wray.  There may have been another body in Glenfada Park but he cannot remember.

Gerard Donaghy

His attention was then draw to the body of Gerard Donaghy.  He was lying on his back slightly north of Gerard McKinney near a wall surrounding an area of raised ground.  His legs were pointing south.  He was still alive but had a wound to his left side.  It was singed and bloody.  He was clearly seriously injured and was having trouble breathing.  Mr. MacFicheallaigh became emotional and shouted for someone to call an ambulance.  At that point some men lifted him and took him into 9 or 10 Abbey Park.  Mr. MacFicheallaigh followed.  A woman placed rosary beads in Gerard Donaghy’s hands.

In the house a man said he was a doctor and he tended to Gerry.  There were a number of people in the house but he did not know any of them.  He realised Gerry was seriously injured so he left the house to get word to Gerry’s sister.  He saw J. Shields who he knew lived near Gerry and told him to go and tell Gerry’s sister Mary he had been shot.  He also saw Ciaran McLaughlin at this time.  He went back into the house and may have been there when Gerry was carried out.  He was put in the back seat of a car and driven off.  Paddy O’Hagan was also nearby.

He does not recall what he did after that but he wandered around looking for friends and trying to account for who had been shot.

Nail Bombs

Mr. MacFicheallaigh said he was with Gerard Donaghy earlier in the day and had he had nail bombs on him he would have told him.  Gerry was thin and wearing tight jeans, he would not have been able to run with nail bombs in his pockets.  He was one of the first to get to Gerry after he had been shot and had he had nail bombs Mr. MacFicheallaigh said he would have removed them himself.  He said he had a vague recollection of seeing someone in denim similar to Gerard Donaghy running across the north side of Glenfada Park North.  The person he saw was with a group of others and they all went out of the north west corner towards Colombcille Court before the Paras arrived.  However he thinks the youth he saw had long hair and Gerard Donaghy’s had not grown much since he left prison only a month before.

Statements

Mr. MacFicheallaigh said he remembered giving a statement to someone who took notes and taped his interview.  She may have been from NICRA.  He has never seen a version of this statement and the Inquiry has been unable to trace it.  At the time he was known as Denis Anthony McFeely.  He also said as soon as the Saville Inquiry was announced he contacted Madden & Finucane and made a statement to them [AM0007.0028.0001] with the intention of giving evidence.  He has also given interviews to journalist Peter Taylor in 1991 [AM0007.0018] and to Channel Four in 1997 [AM0007.0014].

Republican Movement

Mr. MacFicheallaigh said he was not a member of any Republican organisation before Bloody Sunday.  He was not in the Fianna Eireann.  He was not even aware of its existence until early 1971.  He learnt of it through friends who joined.  Gerard Donaghy was one of them.  Mr. MacFicheallaigh was with Gerard Donaghy when he was arrested in April 1971.  They had been to a football match and were in the town centre when Gerry and some others were arrested.  They were accused of rioting but none of them had been rioting that day.  He and another friend went to the barracks to complain, saying no one had been rioting but they got nowhere.

Gerry and the others went to Limerick for a while but Gerry got fed up and decided to come back.  He was seeing a Protestant girl at the time.  He handed himself in and was imprisoned on the false charges.  Mr. MacFicheallaigh said Gerard Donaghy was not particularly active in the Fianna either before or after his imprisonment.  He was only released on 22 December 1971.  They all got involved in rioting but the Fianna was mainly concerned with scouting and parades.

Mr. MacFicheallaigh associated more closely with the Fianna after Bloody Sunday but even then did not formally join.  He was in full time employment so had limited opportunities to get involved.  Sometimes he would walk the streets with the Fianna but there was not much to it.  It felt more militant than it actually was.  A lot of people manned barricades and passed on information.  It was done out of a sense of community rather than belonging to an organisation.  He never went to meetings.

Paddy Ward

Mr. MacFicheallaigh said he knew Paddy Ward very well.  They went to school together and played in the same football team.  He described him as a bit of an aggro merchant and very loud.  They drifted apart when Mr. MacFicheallaigh’s parents sent him to County Antrim in 1969/70.  He never saw Paddy Ward and Gerard Donaghy together and does not believe they were ever friends.  He was not aware of Paddy Ward being as active as he claims.  He said Paddy Ward’s claims of a nail bomb operation on Bloody Sunday were ludicrous.

Provisional IRA

Mr. MacFicheallaigh joined the Provisional IRA around August 1972, around the time of Operation Motorman.  He had had no involvement or access to weapons before this time.  He was 18.

He was not involved in an alleged plan to blow up a police jeep referred to in an RUC Special Branch document [INT0001.0042] and was never asked about any such operation after his arrest in May 1973.  He also denied allegations in other Special Branch documents concerning his alleged membership of the Fianna [INT0001.0043], a break in at Anderson’s shop [INT0001.0044] and attempting to shoot a soldier in August 1971 [INT0145/0146].

Paddy Ward’s claims about his involvement with explosives is also completely untrue.  Mr. MacFicheallaigh said he was on remand when Paddy Ward made the allegations whilst himself in the custody of RUC Special Branch.  He said he did not know why Paddy Ward had said what he did but he may have been under pressure and given his name because he knew he was already in custody [INT0147/0148].  He was never questioned about these allegations whilst on remand.

Convictions

On 1 May 1974 Mr. MacFicheallaigh was convicted of attempted murder in relation to a land mine incident on 12 April 1973.  He was also convicted of 2 counts of causing explosions.  He did not enter a plea and refused to recognise the court.  A Diplock Court (a judge sitting without a jury) sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment.  On 25 November 1974 he was convicted of attempting to escape and on 27 March 1979 he was convicted after escaping.

John Rogers

Made Statement to the Inquiry on 13 January 2004 [AR0042.0001]

John Rogers said he was not politically involved but went to the march because everyone was going.  He could not remember who he was with.  He was with friends but cannot remember anything of the day until he reached Rossville Street.  He had turned down Rossville Street with the majority of marchers rather than continue on to the barrier in William Street.

When he was close to the north end of Glenfada Park he heard people saying there was shooting in William Street.  Some of the crowd came running past saying people had been shot in William Street.  He had not heard any shooting himself but ran to his right through the alley leading towards Abbey Street.  He does not know why he ran that way but was probably just following the crowd.  There were no soldiers in Rossville Street at the time.

In Abbey Street a man in a car called to him saying “They’re shooting people in Rossville Street.  We’ve got to get them to hospital.”  Bubbles Donaghy was not mentioned but Mr. Rogers believes this was who the driver was referring to.  He just jumped in the front seat and three others jumped in the back.  He did not think about why, he just acted on the driver’s request.

Car Stopped by Soldiers

The car was then driven back up to William Street via the Little Diamond.  Mr. Rogers did not know where they were going.  It all happened very quickly.  As they got to William Street the car was stopped by soldiers.

Mr. Rogers said the crowd was not large in William Street.  He and the others were told to get out of the car.  They had to stand facing an army Saracen with their hands against the vehicle.  There were 4 to 6 soldiers.  They had blackened faces and he assumes that they were Paras.  They kept saying “Keep your hands up and don’t look!”  He could not see what the soldiers were doing because he was made to face the Saracen.  He was then taken to Fort George with other prisoners although he cannot remember how he got there.  The other 4 in the car were at Fort George but he does not remember travelling with them.

Fort George

All the prisoners he was with were made to run a gauntlet.  They were forced to run between two lines of soldiers, about 15 to 20 in total, armed with batons.  The soldiers were laughing and he was hit on the back a couple of times as he made his way towards the building.  There was an elderly man well into his fifties ahead of him.  He was hit across the head with a baton by one of the soldiers.  He stumbled backwards and Mr. Rogers caught him pushing him into the building.

Inside the building they were forced to stand in parallel lines.  Soldiers walked between the lines forcing them to keep their heads facing the man in front.  They were not allowed to look around.  Mr. Rogers said he saw a soldier spit in the mouth of a man who asked for a drink.  He thinks the man then fainted.  At some point the Paras left and they were then given some tea and allowed to stand around in groups.  It was icy cold in the building.

Later they were each photographed and then taken to a desk.  A man behind the desk said “he’s arresting you for rioting” referring to a soldier standing next to him.  Mr. Rogers said he did not know if this was the soldier who had actually arrested him.  His name was INQ 635.  He saw it written on a piece of paper on the desk.  His is pictured standing next to INQ 635 in arrest photograph ARR0052.0001.  He was alleged to have been seen throwing stones at the security forces in Rossville Street but Mr. Rogers said he did not think he had thrown stones there.  He may have thrown stones earlier but there was no riot in Rossville Street when he was there. 

In 1972 INQ 635 claimed to have arrested Mr. Rogers with a group of people in Glenfada Park North after the Paras had gone in but Mr. Rogers was arrested in the car before the Paras went in.  INQ 635 has told the Inquiry he cannot remember the arrest.

Documents created after his release allege he was not in a car in William Street but in Glenfada Park North [ARR0003.0001 RUC to DPP 28 April 1972].  Mr. Rogers was summonsed but the charges were dropped.  In a memorandum [ARR0004.0006] prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) it is stated that RUC Head Quarters wanted Mr. Rogers prosecuted on the basis of INQ 635’s identification even though two others in the car, Patrick Norris and a Mr. McCallion, also said they had been arrested in a car in William Street.  Mr. Rogers said he was never asked for his account of how he came to be arrested but he may have told the man behind the desk when he was alleged to have been rioting.

OIRA 8

Official IRA, Creggan 1972

Made Statements to the Inquiry on 10 May 1999 [AW0014.0001] and 8 January 2004 [AW0014.0013]

OIRA 8 was a member of the Official IRA in Creggan in 1972.  He made a statement to the Inquiry in 1999 when he denied being in the IRA.  In evidence he said this was because he was not aware of the Attorney General’s undertaking regarding immunity from prosecution.  In his recent statement to the Inquiry he also said he did not consider his membership to be relevant, since he was not on duty on Bloody Sunday, and he was not prepared to volunteer such information to a British tribunal.  Madden & Finucane Solicitors were acting for him in 1999 but he said they did not advise him about immunity.  They subsequently advised him to instruct alternative solicitors in case of any conflict of interest with the families for whom they act.

OIRA 8 said he had been on nearly all the civil rights marches before the one on Bloody Sunday.  He had seen the behaviour of the police and army on those marches and came to the conclusion that marching and democratic means did not work.  He was at the Burntollet march and Magilligan.  Marchers were badly injured on both.  He joined the IRA because he agreed with its politics and stance of protecting the community.  It was defensive rather than offensive.  He had been trained in the use of weapons whilst in the RAF cadets in about 1963.  He did not receive any weapons training in the IRA.

He was a volunteer in the Creggan unit.  This comprised two sections.  He was in a section with OIRA 7.  There were about 10 men in the Creggan unit.  At the time of Bloody Sunday his section were the night shift.  His recollection was that the Official IRA were stronger in the Creggan and the Provisional IRA had more support in the Brandywell and the Bog.  He refused to name his section leader.

OIRA 8 said they very rarely had to take on the army at that time.  The army occasionally went into the Bogside but very rarely entered the Creggan.  The first line of defence was the people themselves.  The IRA would only engage the army directly if the community could not stop them by rioting.  They would sometimes shoot at the army after a riot but only if there was no risk to civilians.  It was as much a propaganda war as a military one and they could not afford to put civilian lives in jeopardy.  OIRA 8 said he could not recall any occasion on which either wing of the IRA fired on the army during a riot.

No IRA Operation

Their standing orders were to defend the Creggan.  His view of the Official IRA’s defence and retaliation policy was that you did not just fire on a soldier because he was there.  He did not share the interpretation of the policy given by members of the command staff (OIRA 1, OIRA 2 and OIRA 5) that a soldier could be shot at as a member of an occupying force just because he was there.  He said you always had to weigh up a situation and although they always patrolled with weapons they rarely opened fire.  He said any retaliation was always planned in advance.  It might be several days or even months after the incident which provoked it.  He said he was not aware of any Official IRA plan on Bloody Sunday to retaliate for the Paras violence at Magilligan.  Retaliation did not feature in any discussion he was aware of before the march and there was no question of taking on the army with so many civilians on the march.  They did not have formal meetings.  Discussions took place whilst they were on duty.  He saw the officer commanding most days.

OIRA 8 said there were no specific orders as such for Bloody Sunday but his section leader told him there would be no operation in the Bogside that day.  They could not afford any bad publicity from doing anything to discredit themselves or NICRA.  OIRA 8 said it was decided to move all Official IRA weapons to the Creggan on Bloody Sunday.  He was not party to this being done but he assumed the weapons were all in cars rather than in a dump.  He said the reason for moving the weapons was to make them available to the unit on duty in the Creggan and to keep them away from the army and the Bogside.

Weapons

He was not on duty on Bloody Sunday and attended the march in a personal capacity.  He would not have gone to the march if he was aware that there was a plan to attack the army and risk being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He was on patrol the night before as usual.  The purpose of patrols was to monitor army movements and to be seen by the community.  All the Creggan unit’s weapons were kept in two cars.  The weapons were kept loaded.  Weapons were not kept at the Command Centre in Central Drive because it was also used by members of the public and there was often no one there.  If arms dumps were ever used he had no knowledge of them.  They would have been known to the quartermaster. 

So far as he could remember the Creggan unit only had a couple of .303 rifles, a Thompson sub machine gun and a couple of hand guns.  They may also have had a Sten gun.  Weapons and ammunition were in very short supply.  Any broken weapon would have been taken to the quartermaster.  He said he was sure they would have had explosives but he never saw any.  He never worked with explosives.  He did not believe the Official IRA used nail bombs at the time.  If they were used they would not have been made up in advance.  They were too dangerous to store.  He never used nail bombs himself.  They were anti-personnel devices and would not have been used against buildings.  He did not know Paddy Ward in 1972 but did meet him later.  He said he would not believe a word he said.

Fianna

OIRA 8 said there was no link between the Fianna and the Official IRA.  He was not aware of the defections of most Fianna members to the Provisional IRA in late 1971.  He said the membership of the Official IRA was generally aged 18-20 although some, including the command staff, were older.

You had to be vetted before you joined the Official IRA.  Generally people who were already members of the James Connelly Republican Clubs were approached but not all members of the Clubs were in the IRA.  There was a process of political education before you could take the serious step of being sworn in.  After that there were about 6 weeks training before you went on active service.  OIRA 8 was already trained in weapons because of his activities as an RAF Cadet.

Weapons were not easily available and they were controlled by the officer commanding.  So far as he was aware weapons were generally stored in patrol vehicles.  He was not aware of the operation to collect a weapon from Colombcille Court and this would have been down to the Bogside unit.  OIRA 8 said he would not have attempted to retrieve a weapon from a dump at night because it was too dangerous.  You would not be able to see if there were soldiers in the locality.

Commenting on the decision to release a soldier who the Official IRA had detained whilst he was visiting a girlfriend in the Creggan OIRA 8 said he agreed with the decision.  He did not believe it demonstrated any weakness on their part and said he was not aware of any criticism from the Provisional IRA.  His view was that to have killed the soldier would have been a tactical blunder.  He did know people in the Provisional IRA but there was no cooperation between the two groups.  There was never any joint operation.

NICRA

OIRA 8 said he like many others considered himself a member of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association even though he was never a paid up member.  He denied there was any attempt by the Official IRA to control or infiltrate NICRA.  NICRA represented a lot of people and the Official IRA would not have wanted to offend them or rub them up the wrong way.  He knew nothing of any assurances given to NICRA regarding IRA activity on Bloody Sunday but he said it was assumed NICRA would not have wanted any IRA activity on the march.

OIRA 8 said he did not learn of any IRA gunfire on Bloody Sunday until he was released from being interned three months later.  OIRA 8 was interned with PIRA 1. He has only ever learnt of the shots fired by OIRA 1, OIRA 4 (Father Daly’s Gunman) and Red Mickey Doherty.  So far as he was aware no one else fired and until told by the Inquiry he was unaware of the “symbolic shots” fired by a member of the Provisional IRA. 

30 January 1972

OIRA 8 joined the march at the beginning.  It was a very big crowd.  He saw the rioting at barrier 14 in William Street but did not throw any stones himself.  He had done so in previous riots but he was wearing his best clothes and did not want to get them dirty.  OIRA 8 said it was not much of a riot.

Gunfire

OIRA 8 headed down Chamberlain Street when he heard the revving of army engines.  As he ran he heard the sound of gunfire.  It was loud and constant.  He recognise it as SLR fire.  When he got to the south end of Chamberlain Street he saw people trying to get through the gap between Blocks 1 and 2 of the Rossville Flats and others jumping over the low wall in front of Block 2.  There was also a group huddled around a body in the car park.  He did not recall seeing Father Daly.  He said he also had no recollection of seeing OIRA 4 (aka Father Daly’s gunman).  He said OIRA 4 must have fired before he got to the end of Chamberlain Street because he did not see him at anytime.

Michael Bridge

He then saw Michael Bridge.  He was standing in the car park.  He had nothing in his hands and was not throwing anything.  OIRA 8 said he had seen Mr. Bridge earlier acting as a steward in William Street.  OIRA 8 was watching a soldier who was in a firing position kneeling at the north east corner of Block 1 of the Rossville Flats.  He could hear shooting the whole time and he assumed the soldier was firing but he did not actually see any recoil or muzzle flash.

Michael Bridge was shouting at the soldiers to stop shooting.  He thought he was shouting at the soldier at the corner of Block 1.  Michael Bridge was calling the soldiers ‘bastards’.  Then there was a shot and Michael Bridge went down on his back. 

33 Chamberlain Street

OIRA 8’s evidence was a little confused.  In his original statement to the Inquiry he said he was right next to Michael Bridge when he was shot but in evidence he said he ran to help and hit the deck next to him.  In any event he says he helped carry him to 33 Chamberlain Street.  Another woman who had been shot (Peggy Deery) was already in the living room.  They took Mickey into the back yard and laid him on the ground.  There was still shooting going on all around.

After a while a Paratrooper came through the house and into the back yard.  He then disappeared back into the house and OIRA 8 assumed he was going to get medical help.  Then a number of Paras came and ordered everyone out.  They tried to get Mickey to stand but OIRA 8 said he had been shot.  They would not let him stay with Mickey and everyone except Mickey was marched out into Chamberlain Street.  The shooting had stopped by this time.  They were made to stand and then sit at the north end of Chamberlain Street.  Whilst there a Para grabbed a camera off a photographer and removed his film.  Eventually they were marched to Little James Street and put in a flat bed lorry.

Fort George

They were taken to Fort George and made to run a gauntlet between two rows of soldiers some of whom had batons.  They were shouting and very aggressive.  Having been held in a shed he was eventually taken to a room with Charlie McCarron.  There a Para came right up to him and staring him in the face called back to someone in the other room “Soldier’s name here’s the bastard that broke your nose last week.”  OIRA 8 presumed the Para was referring to events at Magilligan but he had not been involved in any violence at Magilligan.  He did not recognise the Para.  Mr. McCarron was hit in the stomach with a rifle butt.

OIRA 8 was then taken before an RUC officer and was made to show him his hands.  The police officer said he would be charged with rioting.  A Para said “I’ll take him” and they were photographed together.  In his arrest photograph [ARR0056.0001] OIRA 8 is pictured with Sergeant INQ 2000.  INQ 2000 claimed in the arrest report [ARR0056.0002] and an Royal Military Police arrest statement that he had seen OIRA 8 throwing stones in a riot in Chamberlain Street.  OIRA 8 said there was no riot in Chamberlain Street and he had not thrown any stones.  In his later RMP statement INQ 2000 claimed he recognised OIRA 8 as one of a crowd who had been throwing stones in William Street.  OIRA 8 denied throwing stones in William Street either.

He was then taken back to the shed.  By this time the Coldstream Guards were guarding and they had a different attitude.  They were allowed to stand in groups and given cups of tea.  Later OIRA 8 and another man, PIRA 1, were picked out and taken by Saracen to Ballykelly.  OIRA 8 was very frightened and thought they were going to be shot.  He was taken into a cubicle inside a building and made to stand with only his fingertips touching the wall in front of him.  His legs were kicked apart and away from the wall.  Soldiers then stood behind him and shouted at him.  Gradually they kicked his legs further and further away from the wall and he was made to lean only on his fingertips.  He could hear others being shouted at in other cubicles and the sounds of screaming.  They shouted at him that he was in the Official IRA which he denied.  He thinks he was in this position for up to 16 hours.  He fell to the ground exhausted several times but was forced to stand up again each time.  And one point he admitted to being in the IRA but that did not stop the treatment.  He felt suicidal and just wanted to do anything to stop the torture.  However it continued for about two days during which he was hit on the head with a pistol and had two teeth broken.

Interned Without Trial

In his first statement to the Inquiry OIRA 8 said he was falsely accused of being in the IRA.  He said he had said this because he did not want to admit his IRA membership at that time.  He was unaware of the immunity.  Eventually OIRA 8 was interrogated about the IRA, names, where guns were kept, etc.  He was asked to sign a statement but was not allowed to read it so he refused.  He was then taken to Crumlin Road prison with PIRA 1.  They were placed in the same cell and asked each other about what had happened on Bloody Sunday but it was only later that they learnt from other prisoners about those who had been killed.  A few days later he was flown to Magilligan internment camp and formally told he would be detained indefinitely.  At no stage was he ever asked about any IRA activity on Bloody Sunday nor were swabs taken of his hands.  He was interned without trial until May 1972.  He subsequently had three operations on his ear.

William Nash, who was killed on Bloody Sunday, was a good friend of his.  Jackie Duddy was a neighbour.

OIRA 8 said he had no recollection of ever being interviewed by the journalist Paul Mahon.

Edward Rigney (recalled).

Made Statements to the Inquiry on 19 July 1999 [AR0010.0001] and 5 August 2002 [AR0010.0013] and previously gave evidence to the Inquiry on 5 September 2001 [DAY 136]

Mr. Rigney was recalled because he had made comments in his first statement to the Inquiry which, when he first gave evidence, he said had been incorrectly recorded.  The Inquiry took a second statement from him after he gave evidence and also took a statement from the solicitor who had interviewed him (Donna Hoath [AR0010.0016]).

The disputed comments concerned whether or not Mr. Rigney knew the identity of IRA men in Derry in 1972 and whether or not he saw them on Bloody Sunday.  In his first statement he had said IRA men were kept back in the Creggan rather than joining the march but he now says this was just an assumption on his part because he saw some men, who he did not know, leaning on cars where the march assembled.  He had also said he was involved with a vigilante group who patrolled the streets at night to guard against army raids.  This was how he claimed to know who was in the IRA.  But in evidence he said he just meant he had seen men in cars at night and assumed they were IRA.

Finally his first statement said that on a number of occasions during riots he had been asked to keep an eye on a gun or a bomb by an IRA man.  He was just to ensure no one touched them.  However in evidence Mr. Rigney said this had never happened and he must have been speaking hypothetically.

Barry Macdonald QC, representing the Duddy family, asked Mr, Rigney if he might have been mistaken when he said that he had seen Jackie Duddy breaking up rubble in William Street during the rioting at barrier 14.  Mr. Rigney said he knew Jackie Duddy very well and was not mistaken.

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|04 March, 2004 |