9 (25) Swedish version
	Rain clouds darkened the sky when we drove along the river Foyle, on road A5 to Derry. To our luck, the rain tarried long enough to let us get inside a Bed and Breakfast at Greater James Street. When the hostess heard our strange accent she asked us: "Where do you come from?" "Sweden", we said, and she cried out: "What brings you to Northern Ireland? Are you madmen or just romantics?" Derry is by tradition a part of County Donegal. At the partition of the island in 1921, Donegal became part of the Republic and Derry lost in one blow all of its natural hinterland. The ruined economy hit the population and the Catholics suffered most of all. It was here, in the late 60s, the Catholic Civil Rights Movement began to demonstrate for equal rights. It was in the Bogside district the British troops and Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) encountered a resistance they never had expected. The IRA declared an autonomous area, Free Derry, and the people of Bogside erected barricades. On Jan 30, 1972, British paratroopers shot and killed 13 civilians during a demonstration. One other person died later from the wounds he received that day. The day is called "The Bloody Sunday".
	First published: Sunday 27th October, 1996. Send a to the author! You may also use this form