Bloody Sunday Letters

In 1920, the War of Independence was raging around the country as Ireland fought for its independence. 

One of the most infamous days in the entire war took place on the 21st of November. Dublin and Tipperary were playing a football match in Croke Park. British forces drove into the stadium and opened fire on the players and the crowd. Shooting lasted for only 90 seconds but, tragically, 14 people were killed.

The British were retaliating to the assassination of many of their spies by the IRA that morning. The people who died were Jane Boyle, James Burke, Daniel Carroll, Michael Feery, Tom Hogan, James Matthews, Patrick O’Dowd, Jerome O’Reilly, William Robinson, Tom Ryan, John William Scott, James Teehan, Joseph Traynor and Michael Hogan. 

Michael Hogan was a Tipperary player. The Hogan Stand in Croke park is named in his memory. Last weekend, the GAA had a special commemoration for Bloody Sunday in Croke Park before the Leinster Final between Dublin and Meath.

Remarkably, 100 years after Bloody Sunday, Tipperary won the Munster Football Championship (their first in 85 years) wearing special commemorative jerseys. The four semi-finalists in this year’s football championship are the exact same as in 1920 – Cavan, Dublin, Mayo and Tipperary!

6th class put themselves in the shoes of those present in Croke Park that day and then wrote letters based on their imagined experience.