On my return to Derry after 27 years in Canada I realised I didn’t know enough about the conflict in general and Bloody Sunday in particular. Despite my distance from home and the fact I was fortunate enough to return home to attend my Kevin’s funeral, my life was still impacted by the Troubles, as I believe every citizen of NI has been.
In 1972 my younger brother Kevin was killed on Bloody Sunday. Being back in Derry made me realise how little I knew of the death of Kevin and of the horror of Bloody Sunday. I started going to meetings of the Bloody Sunday families. I joined in the campaign led by the families for a new inquiry into the events of that terrible day.
A few years later the Bloody Sunday Trust secured funding for an admin assistant at their location in the city centre. I applied, and I have worked for the Bloody Sunday Trust and the Museum of Free Derry ever since.
I hope in my work we can share the truth about Bloody Sunday with visitors from all over the world, and in some way contribute to their understanding of Bloody Sunday and the Troubles. I hope to continue to do so for a while longer, honouring the memory of my brother Kevin and the other thirteen people killed that day.
Jean Hegarty works for the Bloody Sunday Trust in the Museum of Free Derry
