My Bloody Sunday – new 3 part podcast featuring those who were there that day in Derry launched

To mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in 2022 I created a series of portraits of the relatives of the victims, those who attended to the dying on the day, journalists and photographers who recorded the events.

While taking the photographs I also recorded interviews. The recordings have culminated in a three part podcast entitled ‘That Was My Bloody Sunday’, a quote from Ursula Clifford, a nurse who was on the march and tended to the wounded and dying. The three episodes of my new podcast ‘My Bloody Sunday’ are now live and here is the link to them on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/3TRHUUmatoO4CXHrPIHRww?si=brKCp6A7Q4u3W5dbdbQizwThe Three Episode are:1. The March: relatives of the victims and those who attended the march, journalists and photographers recount the events of the fateful day 51 years ago. 2. The Aftermath: The wakes, the funerals and the effect it had on the families and the city of Derry. Relatives also describe in loving details the type of people the victims were. Their jobs, interests and personalities. 3. The Search For Justice. The relatives describe the 50 years they have been fighting for justice.

Featured are:. The relatives of the victims. . Eamonn McCann who was on the march.. Nurse Ursula Clifford who tended to the dying and wounded. . Fulvio Grimaldi who took the iconic photograph of Fr. Edward Daly waving the bloodied white handkerchief as he attempted to lead those carrying a dying teenager Jackie Duddy to safety. . Kay Duddy, the sister of Jackie Duddy. . Charlie Glenn, the Order of Malta volunteer who is helping to carry Jackie in the photograph. . William Rukeyser, an American journalist covering the march for the US media.

My mother was from the North. I spent a large part of my childhood there during the troubles. Growing up in a household steeped in Northern Irish politics and civil rights it was very important to me to create a body of work to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in 2022. My main interests were what exactly was it like to be on the march 50 years ago. What was the atmosphere like, how did people spend that Sunday morning. Was there any sense of foreboding? I also wanted to hear about what type of people the victims were. They were all hardworking people with a love of life and deep family connections.

The photographs were selected for American Photography 38. The annual juried book of what is considered the best of photography during the year. https://www.ai-ap.com/slideshow/AP/38/deirdre-brennan/

The photographs and audio were exhibited at The Playhouse in Derry in July 2022.

The Bloody Sunday families are very pleased with the outcome and feel it is a strong historical record of Bloody Sunday. They are hoping for it to have a permanent home in Derry in the coming future.

The photographs are inspired by the iconic photograph of Fr. Edward Daly waving a bloodied white handkerchief as he attempted to lead a dying teenager Jackie Daddy to safety after he was shot by the British army's Parachute Regiment. The photograph became one of the enduring images of Northern Ireland's Troubles. The portraits of the relatives are merged onto the actual handkerchief Fr. Edward Daly was waving on Bloody Sunday.

The handkerchief is part of the collection of the Museum of Free Derry. The background is a view of Chamberlain Street where Jackie was carried by the group of people trying to save his life. In these recordings you will hear from Kay Duddy, the sister of Jackie. Charlie Glenn, the Order of Malta volunteer who is helping to carry Jackie in the photograph. And from Fulvio Grimaldi, the Italian photojournalist who took the photograph.