On This Day / July 24, 1971
Go BackReproduced with permission from The Irish News.
July 24, 2021
Publication Date
Listen Along in Éamons Voice *
Summary: On This Day – 24th July 1971, Derry ex-servicemen burned their medals in protest while an independent inquiry began examining the controversial Bogside shootings. Edited by Éamon Phoenix.
Ex-Servicemen Burn Medals | On This Day – 24th July 1971
ABOUT 200 Derry ex-servicemen burned their discharge papers and war medals last night.
They heaped them on a fire outside an Army post in the Diamond.
The men were protesting against the killing of two young Derry men shot by troops in the Bogside two weeks ago, and calling for an impartial inquiry into the deaths.
Meanwhile, members of the Gifford Tribunal arrived in Derry last night – Lord Gifford, British Labour peer; Mr Paul O’Dwyer, Irish-born New York lawyer and Mr Albie Sachs, a South African lawyer.
They will open investigations tomorrow into the deaths of the two young Derry men shot by troops during disturbances.
Belfast Science Fiction Author
ONE of a few Irish authors are known throughout the world but in the world of science fiction a Belfast man, James White of Andersonstown is better known in such countries as Japan, Portugal, the US and Italy than he is in his hometown.
This week he has had his seventh novel published since he began writing twenty years ago.
It is called ‘Tomorrow is Too Far’ and is a science fiction tale about espionage in an aircraft factory, an appropriate setting as the author is employed at Short Brothers and Harland in Belfast.
James White is married and lives with his wife Peggy and their three children..
Each novel sells about 50,000 copies but his American editions sell more than 100,000.
Derry as a Free Port
THE idea of a free port at Derry, which has been put forward from time to time during the last fifty years, has received new impetus recently with the possibility of Great Britain joining the Common Market and a new relationship being established between Derry and other ports of Europe.
Mr David Corkey, Community Development Officer in Derry, said yesterday that the city could become a distribution centre for the Common Market as it was the most westerly port on the Atlantic Seaboard.
The idea has never been considered at Government level but it has the backing of Mr John Hume, MP.
(Éamon Phoenix editor’s note: The Gifford Inquiry was the first of a series of independent investigations into disputed events during the Troubles.
The action of Catholic ex-servicemen is a reminder of the searing impact of the shooting of Cusack and Beattie on Derry’s nationalist majority.
From the early 1960s a young John Hume and his teaching colleague, Terence McDonald at St Columb’s College had used a series of TV documentaries to highlight Derry’s potential as the economic capital of NW Ireland, even featuring Brian Faulkner as Commerce Minister in one of them.)
On This Day – 24th July 1971
Further Reading on Irish History:
List of other On This Day columns
Other resources: National Library of Ireland Irish News CAIN Archive
On This Day is a daily column in the Irish News looking back either 50 or 100 years. The column was compiled by Dr Éamon Phoenix from the mid 1980s until autumn, 2022. The Foundation is very grateful to the Irish News for giving permission to reproduce Eamon’s columns. Funding gratefully received from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Magill Trust.
* The Foundation has worked hard to recreate Eamon’s distinctive voice through AI. Since this is an emerging technology, occasional imperfections may be audible.