Derry Diary #10
8 July 2004
Rosemount, Derry
Bright and crisp (like a potato chip)

Last day of work for our kids this week. Yes I know it is only Thursday, but the summer youth scheme only works 4 days a week. But we have plans...oh yes plans.

Today, since the bus was unavailable to transport the Brooke Park kids to Buncrana in the Republic of Ireland (1/2 hour away), plan B was to go to Daisy Field for a picnic and games. So all of the kids from the club and our kids walked the 2 miles down by the River Foyle to a large field for the picnic. (Did I already say that?).

Since Andrew and Janelle were planning the dinner for our special guests this evening Cal and I needed to find them (and the park) to give them the money to go to the store. I got Elaine to drive us there in her van. (Elaine could very easily drive a cab in this town. Seat belts would would not have saved us. It was a thrill ride, but fun. We stopped at a sign that said "Daisy Field Park" which under normal circumstances would be the place. It wasn't. Parked there in their caravans were the "Travelers" a nomad group of Irish gypsies who move from place to place on the Island setting up 'halting areas' to camp. They have their own language (Romanian, Irish, English combo). Anyway, they told us that the group of children were not there and could we spare some change. And so it goes.

Eventually we did find them by the River Foyle. Spectacular views of the Waterside and the walled city. The sun was bright and warm with a slight breeze blowing in from the Arctic. Not cold and not real warm sorta medium.

Andrew and Janelle did the dinner tonite for our guests from the Bloody Sunday Trust, Micky, John and Jean. Andrew and Janelle outdid themselves with the cooking and it was goodly good.

Below is a pic of Andrew with Janelle in the background cooking furiously in the kitchen.

Our guests for the visitor part of this trip were Jean, Micky and John from the Bloody Sunday Trust in Derry. They all had brothers who were killed that 30th of January 1972. The Inquiry is just about to wind up after 6 years. So much testimony and emotions surrounding the years of the Inquiry. Our first encounter with any of these folks was when years ago we first started to come to Derry and needed placements for our kids. The building that houses the Trust needed work, so we pitched in and painted and scrapped getting the building ready for the lawyers of the families and individuals. Every since that time we have had a connection, mostly with Micky and John. Micky McKinney lost his brother Willie on that day and John Kelly had lost his brother Mick on that cold January afternoon. They still talk about the time when our kids raised £1200 in one 2 1/2 hour afternoon. We were on the streets with little boxes collecting for the Trust. The normal thing in Derry is to stand shaking the box and hoping someone will come over and drop a coin in. Our approach was different. Our kids went after people and tried to explain the purpose of the collection. They stood on the sidewalk when a tourist bus came through. whatever the method a ton of money was raised. It was for a good cause.

The victims for the past 30+ years have been labeled as 'terrorists' and it is hoped that the Inquiry will prove it wrong. A majority of those killed were 17 years old, about the same age as our kids.

Here's the group with our guests:

Many more challenges await us as we move towards the end of our stay in the "Maiden City." It was a great evening of discussion, story telling and laughter.

After supper which ended at around 10 p.m. (the picture above shows how light it still is at 10 o'clock, we broke out "George" the vacuum and did the floors. Patti and Bobby did the dishes. When Patti was finished, any dish in the kitchen was surgically clean.

Tomorrow it is the slide show at the Bloody Sunday Trust, and then Buncrana for a few hours, home, showers and then Mary Nelis.

More later,

paul and Cal