JUDE COLLINS: John Hume was half-right with his Bloody Sunday quote

JUDE COLLINS: John Hume was half-right with his Bloody Sunday quote

Many people today are indifferent to the events of Bloody Sunday in 1972. This is understandable—most were not born then, do not live in Derry or the Bogside, and over fifty years have passed with other concerns overshadowing the past. Yet the families and friends of the victims have never forgotten.

Last week, the pain was renewed when Soldier F was acquitted of all murder charges. It took fifty-three years to bring a British soldier to trial for that day’s events, only for him to be found not guilty.

“Many people down there feel now it’s a united Ireland or nothing. Alienation is pretty total.” – John Hume, Irish Times (immediately after Bloody Sunday)

John Hume’s prediction about reunification was inaccurate—there is still no united Ireland after all these years. However, his insight on alienation was correct. The verdict has left relatives overwhelmed with disgust, and the famous Free Derry mural was changed to read, “There is no British justice.”

It feels almost surreal to accept that, after eight innocent people were killed in Ballymurphy, Belfast, the Parachute Regiment then entered the Bogside and shot thirteen people dead, with a fourteenth dying later. The Home Secretary at the time, Reginald Maudling, stated that the British army “came under fire...”

Aftermath and Reactions

The events of Bloody Sunday continue to cast a long shadow over communities, reflecting unresolved grief and a deep sense of injustice.

Author’s summary: The Bloody Sunday verdict reopening old wounds highlights persistent alienation and frustration in Northern Ireland, with justice still seen as elusive by the victims' families.

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Belfast Media Group Belfast Media Group — 2025-11-02

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