Bloody Sunday — Trauma, Pain and Politics

Of all the grave crises in Northern Ireland's history, the events of Bloody Sunday are perhaps the most notorious. The subject of an independent inquiry that is the longest and most expensive the British government has ever undertaken, this yet to be resolved issue continues to be one of the most significant events in the recent history of the Troubles.

This book tackles the subject from a new angle that covers both the political and psychological aspects of what happened. Based on extensive interviews with families whose relatives were killed by British soldiers, it is a record of the trauma that they have suffered. Setting Bloody Sunday in social, political and historical contexts, the authors examine the events of the day itself, the aftermath, and the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder, grief, mourning and storytelling.

They conclude with accounts about state and community responses to the trauma, and the impact and implications of the Saville Inquiry, which has allowed family members to express publicly their stories about the events of Bloody Sunday.

Patrick Hayes is a clinical social worker and has worked for 20 years in private practice as a psychotherapist. Much of his work involves the treatment of trauma related disorders. He holds a degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a PhD from Queens University, Belfast. Jim Campbell is a senior lecturer at the School of Social Work, Queens University, Belfast where he teaches and publishes in the area of mental health social work and the impact of the Troubles on service delivery.