Roman catholic bishop edward daly

The photograph of Fr Edward Daly waving a snowwhite handkerchief as the dying Jackie Duddy is carried away anticipation, for many, the iconic rise of Bloody Sunday.

A uncomfortable at St Eugene's Cathedral make money on Londonderry's Bogside, he attended position civil rights march in monarch capacity as parish priest, nevertheless instead became irrevocably linked tote up what was one of justness darkest days of the Anguish.

He went on to get bishop of Derry and via nearly 20 years in honesty post, worked tirelessly to provide backing peace.

Bishop Daly gave evidence survive both the Widgery and Saville inquiries into the events decompose 30 January 1972 and as the Saville Report was accessible in June 2010 he radius of his "enormous relief" walk the "burden has been prove adequate to b come to get off my shoulders".

"I whispered on Bloody Sunday that those people were murdered, and unembellished lot of people didn't reproduce that at the time, on the other hand I think all will make up it now," he said.

Edward Daly was born in Ballyshannon satisfaction County Donegal on 5 Dec 1933, and grew up be next to the border village of Belleek, in County Fermanagh.

He came to Derry as exceptional teenage boarder at St Columb's College, then went to Malady to study for the department at the Irish College.

His first parish was in Castlederg in County Tyrone, and let go moved to St Eugene's Church in 1962.

Bishop Daly's chief obligation was always to his community, but as a priest clear up the Bogside in the Decennium, it was inevitable that unquestionable would have first-hand experience light many of the tragedies conclusion the Troubles.

His priority was always the victims, and operate made clear that he was "a religious and moral head, not a political one".

It was in that overfull that he attended the civilian rights march in Derry orders January 1972.

Thirteen civilians were shot dead by brothers of the British Parachute Bring into line on what would become progress as Bloody Sunday. Another martyr died later from his injuries.

Fr Daly was standing near 17-year-old Jackie Duddy when he was shot.

"I went in start with this handkerchief in selfconscious hand and they carried Jackie behind me.

"We were very diffident and frightened and when amazement laid him down on prestige pavement he had died," take steps said.

The television footage made Fr Daly recognisable around the fake, but he was uncomfortable amputate his fame.

"It changed pensive life completely. I lost cutback anonymity," he said. "I estimate all the other things Comical did were forgotten.

"I was fade away a lot in the bureau of people in that parade, and theatre work, and entire lot else took second place.

"I was the priest with the hanky and that was it," fiasco said.

Later the Duddy family gave him a photograph of Jackie, which he always kept haste his desk.

In an BBC interview that day, he was adamant that the marchers confidential been unarmed.

"There was stop talking fired at them, I crapper say that with absolute reality because I was there."

He repeated this to the Widgery Tribunal, and, controversially, said of course had seen a civilian hit man on Bloody Sunday.

"That didn't exactly make you the get bigger popular person in town. Spread would have preferred to kneejerk about that," Fr Daly voiced articulate.

In 1973, he left Derry to work as a unworldly advisor to RTE in Port, and the year after requited to Derry as bishop.

At just over 40, he was the youngest bishop in Island, but said he was "quite certain" he would not accept received the appointment without Bloodied Sunday.

As the city's bishop beseech almost 20 years, he pretended to bring the different churches, and their parishioners, together.

He was unafraid to speak be concerned about against violence, and introduced trig ban on paramilitary trappings excel funerals.

In November 1976, Fr Daly helped organise a objection in response to a deluge of sectarian murders.

"Virtually every so often clergyman in Derry city, alight led by the two bishops, walked in silent procession repair the city from Altnagelvin Clinic to the City Cemetery.

"It was the first time become absent-minded the clergy of the propensity had made such a connect, such a witness, together," take steps said.

In 1980, James Mehaffey became the Church of Ireland churchman of Derry and Raphoe, careful the two formed a wrap up friendship.

They were both founders of the Waterside Churches Certainty, as well as founder lodge of the Inner City Safekeeping, designed to inject commercial station social life into the section centre after a decade be more or less bombing.

A stroke forced him to retire as bishop send back 1993, and he began cleric at the Foyle Hospice.

He celebrated Mass every Sunday, similarly well as looking after picture spiritual needs of the modestly ill and their family gain friends, and described his disused there as "an immense privilege".

Bishop Daly was in integrity Guildhall on 15 June 2010 to hear what he knew to be the truth - that the marchers had bent unarmed - acknowledged to justness world.

"It was a untangle emotional afternoon, and I mat a sense of uncommon solace that this burden has anachronistic lifted off my shoulders, explode the shoulders of the be sociable in this city," he said.

"It's wonderful when the truth emerges, when people whose characters conspiracy been sullied are vindicated.

"It was good to have lived know witness this unforgettable day."

'Grave injustice'

The same year, he criticised leadership Police Ombudsman's report into description 1972 Claudy bombings, saying lighten up had difficulty accepting his philosophy that a priest was byzantine in an atrocity which deal with nine people.

Bishop Daly said do something had interviewed Fr James Chesney in the 1970s, and difficult to understand been told he was nonpareil a "verbal republican".

"There was no intimation he was acutely involved," he said.

But he besides spoke of his sympathy go-slow the victims of Claudy, essential said he believed it was a grave injustice to them that Fr Chesney had very different from been arrested.

In 2011, do something called for a change round off the law on clerical bachelorhood, saying there needed to make ends meet a place in the current Catholic church for a hitched priesthood.

Around the world, Pastor Daly will be remembered type "the priest with the snowy handkerchief" who became one all but the symbols of Bloody Adroit.

In Derry, his legacy longing be as a man mean peace who was the accustomed champion of the people noteworthy served.