Relatives of those murdered on Bloody Sunday have been remembering their loved ones for the 50th anniversary this January.

Bloody Sunday, or the Bogside Massacre, was a massacre that took place on the 30th of January 1972. Twenty-six unarmed civilians were shot and thirteen died when British soldiers opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in Derry.

The names of the victims are: John “Jackie” Duddy, Michael Kelly, Hugh Gilmour, William Nash, John Young, Michael McDaid, Kevin McElhinney, James “Jim” Wray, William McKinney, Gerard “Gerry” McKinney, Gerard “Gerry” Donaghey, Patrick Donaghey, Bernard “Barney” McGuigan, and John Johnston. Many of these victims were under the age of 25.

The Taoiseach, Michéal Martin laid a wreath at the memorial ceremony in Derry and said he supported the families’ campaign for justice. The service was a part of a series of events held in Derry for the anniversary.

He privately met the families of those killed and thanked them for their “dignified, persistent, and courageous” campaign in the pursuit of justice, truth and accountability.

Things That Were Done In Honour of the 50th Anniversary:

There was a moment of silence held at the exact moment the first shot was fired 50 years ago.

Relatives of those killed retraced the exact steps of the original march.

They also laid photos of their loved ones at the memorial in the Bogside.

Bloody Sunday was an extremely significant event in the dark times known as “The Troubles” between Ireland and the UK. The events reverberated across our island and across the world. It is important that we never forget.

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Be the change you want to see in the world :)