More than five decades after the events that shook Northern Ireland to its core, the haunting memories of Bloody Sunday were brought vividly back to life this week in a Belfast courtroom. Survivors of the tragic events of January 30, 1972, when members of the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 civilians after a civil rights march in Londonderry, took the stand to recount their experiences with raw emotion and chilling detail.
On October 1 and 2, 2025, the Belfast Crown Court heard testimony from three men—Joe Mahon, Joseph Friel, and Michael Quinn—each of whom survived being shot on that infamous day. Their testimonies formed part of the ongoing non-jury trial of an Army veteran, identified only as Soldier F, who faces charges of murdering James Wray and William McKinney, as well as five counts of attempted murder, including those of Mahon, Friel, Quinn, Patrick O’Donnell, and an unidentified person. Soldier F, who sits behind a curtain during proceedings, has pleaded not guilty to all seven counts.
Joe Mahon, who was just 16 at the time, described to the court how he attended the civil rights march in Derry on Bloody Sunday. According to BBC reporting, Mahon said he made his way to Glenfada Park after hearing that people had been shot. As he arrived, he saw a small group of soldiers enter Glenfada Park North, where a large crowd had gathered. "I saw one soldier with a rifle under his arm open fire in the direction of people in the area," Mahon recounted. The chaos and panic were palpable. "We were trying the gates of a couple of houses to get into the yards but they were locked."
In the confusion, Mahon found himself on the ground. He initially thought he had been hit by a rubber bullet, saying, "When you see someone getting shot on TV, they are rolling about in pain, I wasn’t that way." Lying beside him was another man who said, "I am hit." The scene was harrowing, with Mahon recalling that James Wray and William McKinney were lying close to him, both having been shot.
As Mahon lay there, he noticed a soldier walking toward the group. "He walked past me and Mr McKinney. I heard a voice calling ‘pretend you are dead’. I must have moved, I didn’t know I was shot at the time. I still thought it was a rubber bullet, I was going to try and get up and run. I lay and let on I was dead." The tension escalated when Mahon saw Jim Wray move and the soldier fired at him on the ground. The soldier then left, only to return shortly after. Mahon chillingly recalled hearing the soldier say, "I’ve got another one."
Moments later, Mahon lifted his head and realized the soldier had spotted him. "He knelt down in the middle of the square and aimed his rifle at me. I turned my head away towards the fence, after what happened to Jim Wray, I expected the same. I turned my head waiting to be shot and I heard a voice shouting ‘first aid, don’t shoot’." Mahon was carried from the square by members of the public. He had been shot in the right pelvis and spent several weeks in hospital recovering from his injuries.
Joseph Friel, who was 20 at the time, also shared his harrowing experience. He told the court that he had tried to make his way home to the Rossville flats as the shooting began, but was forced to take cover behind two cars in Glenfada Park North with several others. During a lull in the gunfire, some tried to escape, but Friel was struck. "One hit me. I just felt a thud in my chest and was coughing up blood. I staggered around the corner into Glenfada Park South and I collapsed." Friel was moved to a house where his wounds were treated before being taken to hospital. Speaking about his memory of the day, he stated, "When you see someone trying to murder you, you do not forget."
The next day, the court heard from Michael Quinn, who was just 17 and a schoolboy when he joined the march. Quinn described being asked by James Wray to help carry a banner. As the march progressed, violence erupted. According to his testimony, as reported by BBC, Quinn sought shelter at a rubble barricade on William Street. He watched as two Army Saracen armored vehicles entered the area and soldiers jumped out. "One of them was swinging the rifle like a club … that was quite shocking," Quinn recalled. He then heard four shots ring out. "That really threw me, I couldn’t understand why they were shooting because I hadn’t heard anything fired at the Army."
Quinn described a soldier emerging from the direction of the Rossville Flats, loading his rifle in the bright setting sun. Sensing the danger, Quinn moved toward Glenfada Park North, where he encountered two youths, one of whom appeared to have a nail bomb. A man in his mid-20s warned them, "put those away, you will only get killed." Gunfire from the Rossville Street area intensified. Quinn witnessed a man being shot and heard cries of "there are people dying out here." He saw a group carrying the body of a young man across Glenfada Park.
Attempting to escape, Quinn ran across the courtyard, but disaster struck. "As I was approaching the exit to Abbey Park, I felt myself being struck by the bullet. It grazed my shoulder, the jacket I was wearing, and then went through my face and exited through my nose. For some reason I slowed down and I could actually see the flesh and blood breaking away from my face." Quinn described stumbling and seeing another person fall nearby. "I thought his head was hitting the kerb. What made me think he was shot, he didn’t try to save himself, his hands didn’t go out." Quinn was taken to hospital and underwent surgery for a shattered cheekbone.
The trial of Soldier F continues, with more witnesses expected to testify. The court proceedings have once again cast a spotlight on the events of Bloody Sunday and the enduring trauma experienced by survivors. For many in Northern Ireland, the search for truth and accountability remains as urgent as ever, even as the decades pass and memories fade. The testimonies heard this week serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict and the resilience of those who lived through it.
