Denis Bradley welcomes Saville Inquiry findings

Buncrana-born Denis Bradley, a key witness at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, has welcomed the findings of the Saville Report. Mr. Bradley, former vice-chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, was ministering as a priest in Derry at the time of the killings on January 30, 1972 and was one of a number of Inishowen-born clerics at the ill-fated march who attended to the dead and wounded. He gave evidence to the Saville Inquiry in Derry’s Guildhall in September 2001. Mr. Bradley was among the thousands in Derry’s Guildhall Square on Tuesday last when the 5,000-page report was released to the public and to hear British Prime Minister David Cameron apologise and declare the killings “unjustified and unjustifiable.” Speaking after the release of the report, which took 12 years to compile, Mr. Bradley, described it as “wonderful.” He said: “This report is an authentication of this city and the people who gave evidence. A British prime minister has had to criticise his own troops at a time when they are serving in Afghanistan. This is an amazing report for the city. This report is very clear where the responsibility lies. I’m very satisfied with it.” Commenting on Mr. Cameron he said: “His statement was gracious, in many ways healing.” Other Inishowen-born priests ministering in Derry at the time also attended the dead and wounded on the Bloody Sunday march were Fr. Tom O’Gara, from Moville, and Fr. George McLaughlin (later parish priest in Moville) and Fr. Kieran Doherty, both Buncrana. They, along with Denis Bradley and Fr. Joseph Carolan (later parish priest in Buncrana), attended a Press conference the morning after the killings, to proclaim to the world the innocence of all those killed and wounded as well as condemning the actions of the British troops. Sadly, Fr.O’Gara died in July 1982 while Fr. Carolan passed away in August 1999.