January 2022 - Review of the Year

2022 got off to a sombre start with the dedication of a memorial garden to the memory of those from throughout the Diocese of Derry who lost their lives to Covid-19.

The memorial garden was opened in the grounds of St Eugene's Cathedral in the city. Located behind the Lourdes grotto, it featured 51 rose bushes, one for each of the 51 parishes in the diocese.

A memorial wall, featuring the names of the parishes and prayers in both Irish and English, bears the inscription 'Pray For The Souls Of All Those Who Died During Covid-19 In The Diocese Of Derry.'

Speaking to the Derry News in the garden, Bishop of Derry, Most Rev Dr Donal McKeown, explained how it came about.

He said: “It all began on the first anniversary of the lockdowns in March when we had an all-night vigil for all those buried throughout the diocese. The names of 240 people were read out, those who had been buried, across the diocese, without all the Funeral Rites that we normally would associate with people dying and being mourned.

“We brought up a rose bush and a candle for each of the 51 parishes and had the candles burning throughout the Easter Season.

“So, we decided to build this memorial garden with the rose bushes to remember all those who died for whom families could not have the funeral that they would have wanted.

“It is a quiet space, it is a safe space. It was a waste space and we hope out of a waste space we have something that can create hope and space for people to reflect and pray for all those we have not been able to mourn in the way they would have wanted.

“It is a place of prayer where people can come with their thoughts and memories of those who have died from across the diocese and we hope they can feel at home here,” said Bishop McKeown.

Also in January, the family of Bobby Mullan, who sadly passed away in September last year, donated £10,000, in his memory, to Altnagelvin Hospital, where Mr Mullan was treated.

The Western Health and Social Care Trust said: “The family of the late Bobby Mullan presented our Intensive Care Unit and Ward 26C with donations of £5000 each, in recognition of the exceptional level of care Bobby had received.

“£3700 was raised from kind donations through JustGiving and £6300 was donated from Bob Mullan Motors in memory of Bobby.

“Damian, Elaine, Marianne, Gina and Emma made the very generous donation to staff, which was gratefully received, thank you.”

Marianne Mullan, Bobby’s daughter, thanked the hospital for looking after her father, “We will always be so grateful to the staff for the support they gave to both Dad and ourselves.

“Thank you to everybody for your kind donations which helped us raise £10,000 for two amazing wards who looked after Dad so well in the three weeks he was in hospital.”

Bobby Mullan, of Bob Mullan Motors in Campsie, passed away in hospital on September 20, 2021, three weeks after contracting coronavirus.

The father-of-seven, a native of Drumsurn, had been involved in the car business for over 40 years having established Bob Mullan Motors in Ballykelly in 1980.

A new mural to the Derry nun killed in an earthquake in South America was unveiled in the city at the end of January.
Sister Clare Crockett died when a tremor with a magnitude 7.8 struck the school where she was teaching in Playa Prieta in Ecuador on April 16, 2016. More than 700 people were killed in the earthquake.

Sr Clare was laid to rest in the new section of the City Cemetery, which became a place of pilgrimage since healings and fertility 'miracles' were attributed to her. As a result, there have been calls for Sr Clare to be canonised.

The new mural, on the gable wall of the MediCare pharmacy on Racecourse Road in the Shantallow area of the city, was blessed by the Bishop of Derry, Most Rev Dr Donal McKeown on Saturday, January 29.

Naturally there was music in the Derry air in January when two talented Derry school girls won through to the semi-finals of a highly prestigious music competition.

Isabella Gillen, from Steelstown Primary School, and Francesca Kelly, from St. Oliver Plunkett Primary School in Strathfoyle, secured places in the semi-finals of NI's Soloist of the Year.

The competition, usually held as ‘BBC Northern Ireland School Choir of the Year,’ became ‘School Soloist of the Year' due to Covid restrictions.

Primary six pupil Isabella was entered into the competition by her school, becoming Steelstown's first ever entry in the contest.

Siobhan Gillen, principal at Steelstown Primary School, said the whole school was 100 per cent behind Isabella as she got ready to compete for a spot in the final.

She added: "We are all so very proud of all that Isabella has achieved so far.

"She has represented the school with so much enthusiasm, energy and has really created a great positive energy around the school.

"For Isabella, the only thing better than singing, is more singing,” said Ms Gillen.

Francesca was the first child from St Oliver Plunkett Primary School to have been entered for the individual competition.
School principal, Eamonn Moore, said: “Francesca's phenomenal talent deserves to be celebrated. All the pupils can celebrate

Francesca's achievement on our Good News Wall.

“I am definitely hearing a lot more singing in the corridors, and that is not just the children.

“The entire school community is so proud of Francesca, not just for her talent but for her modesty when sharing her voice and her positivity in all aspects of her life.

“Francesca is a shining example of the amazing talent that the children of St Oliver Plunkett Primary School display every day,” said Mr Moore.

As January drew to a close, the families of those killed on Bloody Sunday vowed to continue their fight to get the British soldiers responsible for the 1972 massacre prosecuted.

Speaking during a memorial service at the Bloody Sunday monument on Rossville Street on January 30, which marked the 50th anniversary of the killings, Michael McKinney, whose brother, William, was one of those shot dead, said the families were determined to get murder charges brought against the soldiers responsible.

Only one soldier, known as Soldier F, faced two murder and five attempted murder charges in connection with the massacre. The Public Prosecution Service announced last year that the charges were to be withdrawn.

Mr McKinney said: “We have three clear demands, the repudiation of the Widgery whitewash, the declaration of innocence of all the victims of Bloody Sunday and the prosecution of those responsible. The Saville Report recognised the complete innocence of our loved ones and ended the lies of Widgery but we will always reject the stain that was left of Gerard Donaghey's name by the finding that he was probably carrying nail bombs. He was not carrying nail bombs. All the evidence shows that they were planted on his body to provide a justification for his murder.

“Now, we still have our third demand, the prosecution of the uniformed criminals who murdered our people on our streets.

“In March 2019, the Public Prosecution Service announced the prosecution of only one Paratrooper, known as Soldier. F was charged with the murder of my brother, Willie, and Jim Wray, five cases of attempted murder, even though the Saville Report had found that he was also responsible for deaths of Michael Kelly, Patrick Doherty and Barney McGuigan. Forensic evidence and his own admissions prove this.

“The court allowed Soldier F and his representatives to dictate the proceedings. It permitted Soldier F's enduring anonymity despite F requiring to make a proper application.”

Stating the families would continue their fight to get those responsible prosecuted, Mr McKinney concluded by saying, 'We shall overcome.'”