Bloody Sunday — shooting of 26 civilians by British soldiers in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1972 during the Troubles
The worst mass shooting in Northern Irish history, it deepened sectarian conflict, boosted IRA recruitment, and led to a formal UK government apology in 2010.
Key Facts
- Civilians shot
- 26 unarmed civilians
- Deaths
- 14 (13 immediately, 1 later from injuries)
- Perpetrating unit
- 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment (1 Para)
- Saville Inquiry report
- Published 2010; concluded shootings were unjustified
- UK apology
- Issued by PM David Cameron, 2010
- Trial outcome
- Soldier F found not guilty in 2025
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association organised a march in Derry on 30 January 1972 to protest internment without trial. Tensions between the Catholic nationalist community and British security forces had been escalating throughout the early Troubles, and the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment was deployed to the area.
British soldiers from 1 Para opened fire on unarmed marchers in the Bogside district of Derry, shooting 26 civilians. Thirteen were killed outright and a fourteenth died months later from his wounds. Many victims were shot while fleeing or attempting to aid the injured; all those shot were Catholic.
Bloody Sunday intensified the Troubles, dramatically increased support for the Provisional IRA, and caused a national day of mourning in the Republic of Ireland. The British Embassy in Dublin was burnt down. Two official inquiries followed; the 2010 Saville Report condemned the shootings as unjustifiable, prompting a formal UK apology from Prime Minister David Cameron.