Tributes paid to 'extraordinary courage' of Bloody Sunday victim Mickey Bridge
Michael (Mickey) Bridge, who was shot and wounded on Bloody Sunday, has been praised as a man of extraordinary courage and determination who was a stalwart in the Bloody Sunday truth and justice campaign, following his passing.
Mickey Bridge, who was was shot in the leg in the Bogside area of Derry on January 30, 1972, passed away earlier this month.
Requiem Mass will be held at the Holy Family Church in Ballymagroarty on Thursday, June 18 at 10am.
Mr Bridge was the beloved husband of Jane, and the loving father of Jane, Edward, Miriam and Roseann and grandfather, and also the dear brother of Bridie, Mary, Marley, Kay and the late Bernie, Sarah, Lily, Ted and Rosaleen.
He was shot as he remonstrated with British soldiers after they murdered Derry teenager Jackie Duddy on Bloody Sunday.
Just four years ago, damages were awarded to Mr Bridge for the injuries inflicted on him by a ranking officer who, then, falsely claimed he had been carrying a suspected nail bomb on Bloody Sunday.
Hugh Court Judge Mr Justice McAlinden said in 2022 that the shooting of Mr Bridge was “a callous, hideous attack on an unarmed civilian who was simply protesting about the shooting dead of a 17-year-old.”
The court at the time had heard that Mr Bridge was a steward on the civil rights march when demonstrators were hit by water cannon, gas and rubber bullets.
At the Rossville Flats, he discovered Jackie Duddy had been shot, with a group which included Father Edward Daly crouched over the dying teenager.
In evidence, Mr Bridge described feeling a sense of “rage” and going over to remonstrate with the paratroopers.
SDLP Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said: “Michael Bridge was injured after being shot on Bloody Sunday while facing down soldiers after the murder of Jackie Duddy. In the aftermath, the British Army attempted to sully his name by falsely accusing him of carrying a nail bomb. Alongside the Bloody Sunday families, he spent decades fighting to clear his name and secure justice, only receiving the compensation he was entitled to in 2022.
“Michael's passing gives us an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary determination shown by him and the Bloody Sunday families in their pursuit of truth and justice. For decades they stood firm against the might of the British establishment and refused to allow the events of that day to be rewritten. Through their courage and perseverance they earned the admiration of people across the world.
“Our thoughts are with Michael's wife Jane, his children Jane, Edward, Miriam and Roseann and all of his family and friends at this difficult time. We also think today of the wider Bloody Sunday families. Michael's passing will bring many people in our city back to that terrible day and to the long struggle that followed. His contribution to the fight for truth and justice will not be forgotten.”
Michael Bridge will be reposing in his home, 25 Joyce Court, Ballymagroarty, from 2 pm on Tuesday. Funeral from there on Thursday at 9.30 am for 10 o’clock Requiem Mass in Holy Family Church, Ballymagroarty. Interment afterwards in the City Cemetery. Family time from 10 pm to 11 am.