Campaigner John Kelly retires after 27 years with Bloody Sunday Trust

The Bloody Sunday Trust is delighted that the Mayor of Derry, Cllr Lilian Seenoi-Barr, will host a civic reception to mark the retirement of John Kelly after 27 years working for the Trust.

A spokesperson said it was a ‘fitting way to mark the retirement of a man who has spent most of his life working tirelessly for truth and justice for the people of Derry and educating people about our history. It is great that the city will formally mark his
retirement.”

John retired from the Bloody Sunday Trust and Museum of Free Derry in July this year, having worked with the Trust since its inception in 1997.

He started off as a Family Liaison Officer, helping the Bloody Sunday families through the many years of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, and when the Museum of Free Derry opened in 2006 he took on the role of Education and Outreach Officer, spending the next eighteen years speaking to visitors, school groups and tour groups.

Getting to hear John tell his own deeply personal story of Bloody Sunday and the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign, which he chaired, was the highlight of the trip for many of the museum visitors he spoke to.

Tony Doherty, chairperson of the Bloody Sunday Trust, and long-time friend and fellow campaigner with John, said: “It is a sad time for all of us at the Bloody Sunday Trust and the Museum of Free Derry as John retires after most of a lifetime fighting for justice for his brother Michael and the others murdered and wounded on Bloody Sunday.

“John has been central to our work for so many years, from his campaigning around Bloody Sunday to providing a guiding voice in the creation of the museum, always ensuring that it truly reflected the voices of those whose stories it was set up to tell. His influence on our younger staff members will ensure that the ethos he helped to instill will endure long into the future.

“The museum is a better place because of his involvement, and he will never really leave it as his influence is embedded into the very fabric of the building and his voice will always be heard through the many displays, he helped create. Many thousands of visitors now have a much better understanding of what this city experienced thanks to John.

“As we wish him all the best for a long and happy retirement, we are sure we will be joined by the many others he has helped along the way, others who looked to him for help and advice in their own struggles, which he always gladly provided and will continue to. He truly deserves a rest, and while we won't see him in work every day we know he'll always be there for us.”