Bloody Sunday
October 29, 2014
An unarmed 19-year-old member of the Irish Republican Army helplessly stares up at an armed British soldier in his hometown on a Sunday afternoon. The soldier looks down at the boy and walks away with a shrug. Had he been shot, the death toll for the day would have risen to 15.
This day is remembered now as “Bloody Sunday,” a day that Jon McCourt, the boy whose life was spared, would recount for the rest of his life.
McCourt shared this and other stories he had as a member of the IRA at the 11th Honors College Bhatia Lecture Tuesday night in the CUB Auditorium. The presentation was hosted by the WSU Honors College.
“Bloody Sunday” began as a protest in Derry, against the internment of members of the IRA led by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association. The group emphasized nonviolent protesting involving civil rights.
At the time, Northern Ireland was heavily divided between Catholics and Protestants. In certain areas, Catholics would be denied the right to vote and public housing.
“The partition of Ireland is what gave birth to the problems that plagued the country for over 30 years,” McCourt said. “But this was about equality for housing and voting for all people, not just one specific religious group.”
After a few hours of protest in front of the Derry town hall, British soldiers and police arrived to put an end to the situation.
McCourt, having grown up in Derry, emphasized the people of Derry were not familiar with dealing with any type of police force.
“We were from a community that was more afraid of our priests than we were the police,” he said. “Crimes were not very common, so police seemed to just sort of be there without having much of an impact.”
A few years after “Bloody Sunday” McCourt left the IRA. He felt the group had moved away from protecting the civil rights of the people of Northern Ireland, which was his original purpose for joining.
“I knew there had to be another way,” McCourt said. “People who knew me at the time were probably pretty shocked to see such a drastic change: From soldier to peacemaker. Not exactly something you hear every day.”
Students will have an opportunity to visit Derry with McCourt to see exactly where the events of “Bloody Sunday” took place, as part of a study abroad program this summer. The program will be led by Matthew Carroll, a professor for the School of the Environment.
“The single most compelling story that students can learn while attending any program in Ireland is Jon’s,” Carroll said. “I am honored that he is always willing to share his experience with them.”
Earlier in the day, McCourt gave a similar presentation called “From Bullets to the Peace Process: The Transformation of the IRA” as part of the “Coffee and Politics” discussion series hosted by the Foley Institute.
The Honors College Bhatia Lectures honor the former head of the Honors Program and director of International Education, Vishnu Bhatia, who died in 2003.