Miriam O'Callaghan

NEW: In Solidarity, Gratitude, and Loving Memory: A Tribute to John Kelly The Ballymurphy Massacre Families are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of John Kelly When the Ballymurphy Massacre families began our long, agonising march for truth and justice, the path ahead often felt impossible. In those darkest days, when the state sought to bury the truth of what happened in Ballymurphy in August 1971, we looked across the North to Derry and there we were welcomed by John Kelly and the Bloody Sunday families. John did not just offer us sympathy; he offered us his heart and an unwavering blueprint for justice. Having carried the unbearable grief of losing his 17-year-old brother, Michael, on Bloody Sunday in 1972, John understood our pain down to his very bones. He transformed his own monumental loss into a lifelong, heroic campaign for truth, and then he turned around and made sure he dragged the rest of us up the mountain with him. For the Ballymurphy Massacre families, John Kelly was a constant beacon of hope and a tremendous inspiration. But John was never one for mere words. He helped and support us when we needed it most. He sat with us, walked with us, and shared every lesson learned during the Bloody Sunday campaign. From practical suggestions on how to organise, navigate the media, and engage internationally, to grounding us with his quiet dignity and steel determination, John guided our steps. We felt privileged beyond words to stand alongside the Bloody Sunday families on that historic day in Derry’s Guildhall when David Cameron issued the public apology for Bloody Sunday. Watching you achieve that long-denied justice felt like a passing of the baton. Seeing your triumph in the Guildhall gave us the courage, renewed vigour, and belief that we too could cross our own finish line. It gave us the strength to carry on our own fight for truth and justice, knowing that ordinary families, armed only with love and the truth, could take on the highest corridors of power, and win. When we finally stood in the light of truth and vindication for our own loved ones, John’s spirit and solidarity were woven into that triumph. We could never have walked that hard road the same way without him. To the Kelly family and the Bloody Sunday families, we offer our deepest love, prayers, and solidarity. Thank you John for being our mentor and our friend. His legacy of justice, courage, and unconditional solidarity will echo through generations. Forever remembered, forever loved, and forever in our debt. The Ballymurphy Massacre Families