McAliskey recalls Bloody Sunday shootings

One-time civil rights figurehead Bernadette McAliskey went into the witness box at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry today to recall the shootings three decades ago which almost claimed her own life.

The former Mid Ulster MP took the stand at Derry's Guildhall, where the multi-million pound hearing is probing the deaths on Bloody Sunday.

Mrs McAliskey, 54, who left public life many years ago, physically attacked the then Home Secretary Reginald Maudling on the floor of the Commons in the days following the tragedy. The then Bernadette Devlin herself narrowly escaped the gunfire of January 30 1972, according to evidence already heard by the Tribunal.

Several witnesses have described seeing bullets hitting the wall behind her that day as she stood on a platform and addressed the crowd assembled at Free Derry Corner in the city's Bogside district.

Mrs McAliskey survived a loyalist bid on her life in 1981, when she and her husband, Michael, were shot at their home near Coalisland, County Tyrone, in an attack she claimed was set up by the security forces.

More recently, she fought to win the freedom of her daughter, Roisin, who gave birth while being held in prison in mainland Britain as fought extradition to Germany over an IRA bombing. Ms McAliskey was released and the extradition refused on health grounds.

The Bloody Sunday inquiry, chaired by Lord Saville, was established three years ago and has been sitting in public for the past 13 months. To date it has cost in excess of £36m.