Claudy 50 years on: ‘We passed every bomb 15 minutes before they exploded’

The events of 31st July 1972, when I was just eight years old, are as clear today as ever.

At that time, we lived in Dungiven Road, next door to our family pub called The Clooney Bar. In the early hours of that morning, an IRA bomb exploded in the bar next to The Clooney. As I lay in my bed covered in glass, there was chaos in our house.

I remember my mum crying out for my four-month-old brother as he was in a crib beside her bed, it too now covered in glass. The chimney was damaged and soot and the smell of burning was everywhere. I remember a soldier carrying us as we were lifted from the rubble.

We ended up in a neighbour’s house, who had their own drama unfolding as one of the girls was getting married that day. Word was coming through that a major army operation was taking place in Creggan and nobody was being allowed to leave, including her husband-to-be and his family. If I can recall correctly, only her husband and his best man got out for the wedding.

My mum and dad were both from Claudy so my sister and I were sent to our grandparents. Uncle Vincent and Auntie Greta, who lived on the main street of Claudy, brought my sister and I to our grandparents. Now here is where my memory gets foggy. I don’t know whether they were still with us when three bombs exploded in Claudy or if they had just left. My grandparents had no phone and lived outside the village. It seemed like forever before we knew what was happening, but it was probably not long before crying factory girls with blood-stained aprons stopped outside Granny’s, telling us that the village had been blown to pieces. All I wanted was to go home.

The next few days were filled with prayers and tears. We had passed every single bomb about fifteen minutes before they exploded. At endless wakes, names of the dead and their tragic stories day were told and retold.

The 31st July 1972 is not a day I will forget. Remember the names of those that died.