Death announced of John Kelly, tireless campaigner for Bloody Sunday victims

Tributes have been paid to Bloody Sunday campaigner John Kelly following his death on Saturday morning “after a long battle with illness”. Thirteen people were shot dead when members of the British Army’s Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in the Bogside area of Derry on January 30th, 1972. It is regarded as one of the darkest days of the Troubles. Another man shot by paratroopers died four months later. John Kelly, whose brother Michael was shot dead after attending the event in Derry, previously described how he himself narrowly avoided being shot on the day.

The Bloody Sunday Trust said: “John was born in Creggan in 1949, the son of Kathleen and John Kelly, and into a family that would eventually become 12 children – nine sisters and three brothers. “In August 1969 John married the late Margaret, and in their 52 years of marriage they had six sons, John, Michael, Emmet, Mark, Niall and Martin. “John’s younger brother Michael, just 17 years of age, was the youngest of the 14 men and boys murdered on Bloody Sunday.

“John was there himself that day, witnessing much of the violence, and carried the body of his own brother to an ambulance and accompanied him to the hospital, where he was declared dead.” John Kelly was a toolmaker, who also worked for the trust and the Museum of Free Derry. Tony Doherty, chairman of the Bloody Sunday Trust, said: “I have lost a great friend. We have all lost a great friend. “It is such sad time for all of us who campaigned for justice for Bloody Sunday, who fought for our loved ones for so many years.”

He described John Kelly as being “at the forefront of that fight”. “John was always there for other campaigns and families as well, and I am sure they are all as saddened as we are at his passing. “John was always willing to share his experience with others, and many appreciated his good advice and support over the years of their struggles. Campaigners for justice across Ireland have lost an inspirational figure.” He added: “We offer our deepest condolences to John’s family and friends, his sons and grandchildren, his sisters and brother.

They have lost their father, grandfather and brother, we have lost our friend and comrade, but we have all been privileged to have known him and he has left a mark on all of us that we are all the better for.” In an interview about Bloody Sunday, John Kelly said the civil rights march in Derry was the first that 17-year-old Michael had ever attended. He also said their mother had been concerned about Michael’s safety at the event, and called out to him shortly before he was shot dead.

John Kelly was honoured with a civic reception in 2024 following his retirement from the Bloody Sunday Trust. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said he was a remarkable man “whose courage, determination and lifelong commitment to justice earned him the respect and admiration of people across Ireland and beyond”. She said: “John was a powerful and unwavering voice for the Bloody Sunday families, whose brother Michael aged 17 was murdered by the British Army.

“Alongside those families, he led a campaign of extraordinary dignity and resolve, refusing to allow the truth of that terrible day to be buried or the victims to be forgotten. “His campaigning was instrumental in securing the public inquiry, the vindication of the victims and the historic apology from the British government. These were hard-won victories, achieved through decades of perseverance in the face of injustice.” She added: “John leaves a lasting legacy, not only for the Bloody Sunday families, but for all those who continue to campaign for justice and for a better, more peaceful Ireland.”

A funeral Mass has been scheduled for Monday morning, according to an online death notice. - PA