Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Finally, around the corner, you'll see a circle of male faces. This mural, painted in 1997
to observe the 25th anniversary of the tragedy, is called
Bloody Sunday Commem-
oration
and shows the 14 victims. They are surrounded by a ring of 14 oak leaves—the
symbol of Derry. When relatives of the dead learned that the three Bogside Artists were
beginning to paint this mural, many came forward to loan the artists precious photos of
their loved ones, so they could be more accurately depicted.
Across the street, drop into the
Bogside Inn
for a beverage and check out the black-
and-white photos of events in the area during the Troubles. This pub has been here through
it all, and lives on to tell the tale.
While these murals preserve the struggles of the late 20th century, today sectarian viol-
ence has given way to negotiations and a settlement that seems to be working. The British
apology for the Bloody Sunday shootings was a huge step forward. Nationalist leader John
Hume (who shared the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with Unionist leader David Trimble) once
borrowed a quote from Gandhi to explain his nonviolent approach to the peace process:
“An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind.”
