Of all the grave crises in Northern Ireland's history, the events of Bloody Sunday are perhaps the most notorious. The subject of an independent inquiry that is the longest and most expensive the British government has ever undertaken, this yet to be resolved issue continues to be one of the most significant events in the recent history of the Troubles. This book tackles the subject from a new angle that covers both the political and psychological aspects of what happened. Based on extensive interviews with families whose relatives were killed by British soldiers, it is a record of the trauma that they have suffered. Setting Bloody Sunday in social, political and historical contexts, the authors examine the events of the day itself, the aftermath, and the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder, grief, mourning and storytelling. They conclude with accounts about state and community responses to the trauma, and the impact and implications of the Saville Inquiry, which has allowed family members to express publicly their stories about the events of Bloody Sunday.
Author(s): Patrick Joseph Hayes, Jim Campbell
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: 222
Contents......Page 4
Introduction......Page 15
The origins of the conflict......Page 23
Northern Ireland: a contested state......Page 26
Civil rights, increasing violence and internment......Page 27
Events leading to Bloody Sunday......Page 30
Bloody Sunday: the aftermath......Page 33
Northern Ireland post- Belfast Agreement......Page 36
Summary......Page 38
Defining state violence......Page 39
State violence in Northern Ireland, 1921 - 98......Page 44
Reforming the state and the resolution of conflict: Northern Ireland post- Belfast Agreement......Page 49
Summary......Page 51
The history of the concept of PTSD......Page 52
Type 1 and Type 2 traumas......Page 56
PTSD and the Troubles in Northern Ireland......Page 58
Grief, mourning and trauma......Page 61
Grief and mourning......Page 62
Children and trauma......Page 63
Grief and trauma......Page 64
Long- term consequences of trauma......Page 65
Helping people with PTSD......Page 67
Storytelling and trauma resolution......Page 69
Summary......Page 70
Rationale for the qualitative approach......Page 72
The study instruments......Page 73
The field process......Page 76
The study sample......Page 77
Data analysis: quantitative data......Page 78
Data analysis: qualitative data......Page 80
Study limitations......Page 81
Summary......Page 83
The beginning of the day......Page 84
Outcry and denial......Page 88
Hearing the news: 'He's dead'......Page 89
Going across to Altnagelvin......Page 94
Traumatic stress and Bloody Sunday......Page 96
The funerals: ‚ Thirteen coffins......Page 100
Foreshortened life and survivor guilt......Page 103
Working through trauma......Page 105
Summary......Page 107
Trauma, grief and loss......Page 108
'We don't talk about it'......Page 113
Anger: 'They were innocent ...Have to get a fair hearing'......Page 114
The Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign: 'I thought I could do something'......Page 116
Anti- violence and apoliticism: protecting the next generation......Page 117
Summary......Page 122
7 State and community responses to trauma......Page 123
The early period of the Troubles......Page 124
Direct rule and integrated service......Page 125
The ceasefires and after......Page 127
Dealing with the trauma of the past......Page 131
Helping the Bloody Sunday families......Page 132
State services......Page 134
Non- governmental agencies......Page 139
Summary......Page 142
Experiencing the peace in Northern Ireland......Page 143
Derry, August 2001......Page 144
Grieving the lost relative......Page 147
Living with the inquiry......Page 149
The media and Derry response to the inquiry......Page 154
Summary......Page 157
9 The quest for justice and resolution of trauma? The Saville Inquiry......Page 158
The Inquiry structure and process......Page 161
Legal procedures......Page 162
The magnitude and cost of the Inquiry......Page 163
Strengths and weaknesses of the Inquiry......Page 164
Will the Inquiry establish the truth and heal the wounds?......Page 166
Summary......Page 168
Testimony: giving and getting support......Page 170
Experiencing the Inquiry day by day......Page 172
Hearing about the last moments of the dead......Page 173
Questions answered......Page 174
'Taking time out'......Page 176
Repudiating Widgery......Page 177
Fairness of the process: hopes and fears......Page 178
Witness badgering......Page 179
Apportioning the blame......Page 181
'It's worth it'......Page 185
Summary......Page 186
Issues of methodology......Page 188
Complex trauma: implications for resolution......Page 189
Fear and a disempowered generation......Page 190
The human experience of trauma: loss......Page 191
Justice, violence and politics......Page 192
30 years after Bloody Sunday......Page 193
Bibliography......Page 197
Index......Page 209
