Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This weekend marks 100 years since Bloody Sunday and the terrible events of that day. Last night, the RTÉ documentary on Bloody Sunday expertly captured the events of the day in a very detailed way, from the morning of the raid by Michael Collins' Squad on British officers, during which innocent people were also killed, to the deaths in Croke Park in the afternoon. The executive producer, Mr. Michael Foley, used archival interview footage involving those who were there on the day to recall the events, as well as transcripts.He also set out how the Crown forced people back in the ground with volleys of machine-gun fire from Jones' Road on one flank and The Hill on the other and, in doing so, caused a crush that led to more deaths. It was particularly harrowing. Of course, the military files were only released 79 years later and showed the extent of the British cover-up on the day. I also acknowledged the RTÉ Radio 1 "Documentary on One" programme, which aired on Sunday night and which was narrated by Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, as part of its coverage of the event.

Most striking of all was the difference in the funerals. The British officers were transferred back to London and given military honour funerals at Westminster whereas the British ordered the funerals of the 14 souls killed at Croke Park be minimalist and that there be no speeches. Indeed, many of those 14 souls lay in unmarked graves for over 90 years. I acknowledge the role of the GAA, which has always been more than sporting organisation. Led by its president, Mr. John Horan, it initiated a programme of rectifying the position by providing headstones for those who lay in unmarked graves in Glasnevin Cemetery and, indeed, the memorial at the rear of the Hogan Stand. I wish to afford particular praise to the GAA Museum, which for the last number of months throughout this year culminating in this week led an educational programme examining the lives of the people involved. It is 100 years later but they were real people on the day, from Jane Boyle, aged 26, who was due to be married and held her fiancé's hand as she fell and died at Croke Park, to young William Robinson who, at 11 years of age, was the youngest and first to be killed on the day. He was in a tree at the Canal End and was shot out of it. Of course, there was Michael Hogan, probably the most famous of all the people on the day because the Hogan Stand is named after him. I rise today to say let us remember them this weekend and not forget the events of that particular day.