Bishop’s prayers answered as direct flights reintroduced

A BISHOP’S prayers were answered yesterday when direct flights were re-introduced between Cork and Belfast.

Former Bishop of Derry Edward Daly had been coaxed out of retirement to talk about the events of Bloody Sunday one final time as a guest of the Kinsale Peace Project in October.

But, on Wednesday, the frail 77-year-old churchman contacted organisers of the peace convention to inform them he had decided to pull out because he wouldn’t be able to fly directly to Cork — and wasn’t willing to consider alternative means of transport.

However, Bishop Daly, who risked his life during Bloody Sunday, assured organisers he would fulfil his lifelong ambition of visiting the Co Cork town once direct flights were introduced.

Yesterday, organisers were busy trying to reorganise his visit after airline Manx2 launched a direct service from Cork to Belfast, beginning on September 6.

Organiser Padraig Fitzgerald said: “This is fantastic news. Bishop Daly told me only this morning that he would like to visit Kinsale once direct flights were introduced and today that has happened.

“He had booked an Aer Arran direct flight but that company recently announced it was to suspend its connection between Cork and Belfast from next month. Bishop Daly was adamant that he would only travel here if he could get here directly and received a full refund only this morning from the airline.

“But happily, it’s looking like we’ll see him in Kinsale very soon. If it’s not in October as originally arranged, it’ll probably be some time next year.”

Persuading the media-shy bishop, who has suffered ill health in recent years, to visit the Co Cork town is “a massive coup” for organisers, because it will mark his final public reflection of the atrocity in January 1972.

Bishop Daly, a curate at the time of the atrocity, is best known for waving a bloodied handkerchief as he risked his life to tend to the wounded and dead during the ill-fated civil rights march in the Bogside more than 38 years ago.

In June this year he broke a 17-year silence to speak of his relief and joy at the findings of the Saville report which concluded the killing of 14 civilians in Derry was “unjustified”.