John Kelly, a central figure in the decades-long fight for justice following the 1972 Bloody Sunday killings, died following a long battle with illness. His death marks the passing of one of the most prominent advocates who challenged the British establishment after his 17-year-old brother, Michael, was shot dead by British paratroopers in Derry.
Mr Kelly spent more than five decades campaigning for truth and accountability, helping found the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign in 1992 and working closely with the Bloody Sunday Trust from its inception. Tributes from political leaders, fellow campaigners, and community figures poured in across Ireland following the announcement of his death.
Family Schedules Funeral Mass for Monday
Mr Kelly’s funeral cortege will leave his home on Monday, November 9, at 9:20 am for St Mary’s Church, Creggan, for requiem mass at 10:00 am. Family flowers have been requested only, with donations directed to Foyle Hospice on Culmore Road or City Friends of Marie Curie.
His death notice records that he was the husband of the late Margaret, with whom he shared 52 years of marriage and raised six sons: John, Michael, Emmett, Mark, Niall, and Martin. He was also a grandfather to nine grandchildren: Sean, Ruari, Mollie, Luke, Aedan, Nathan, Ava, Thomas, and Eve.
Decades of Advocacy in Derry
Mr Kelly’s campaign originated in the immediate aftermath of January 30, 1972, when members of the British Army’s Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in the Bogside area of Derry, killing 13 people outright, with another victim dying months later. On that day, Mr Kelly witnessed the violence and carried his teenage brother’s body to an ambulance, as detailed by the Irish Mirror.
John Kelly , Chair of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign, died peacefully in the early hours after a long illness. He will be remembered with great love and pride in his home town of Derry, throughout Ireland and abroad. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann. pic.twitter.com/7duenlzdhl
He later served as a Family Liaison Officer for the Bloody Sunday Trust starting in 1997, guiding families through the arduous inquiry process before becoming the Museum of Free Derry’s Education and Outreach Officer in 2006, a position he held until his retirement in August 2024. Tony Doherty, chairperson of the Bloody Sunday Trust, stated that Mr Kelly supported families through the Saville Inquiry with great skill and generosity before helping establish and grow the museum.
Politicians Praise His Fight for Justice
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill paid tribute to Mr Kelly’s resilience against the state. “His courage and determination in taking on the British state in the fight for justice were remarkable.”
Foyle MP Colum Eastwood emphasized the broader impact of Mr Kelly’s work in Derry. “He repeatedly faced down the might of the British establishment and refused to allow the truth about what happened on the streets of Derry in January 1972 to be buried,” Mr Eastwood told, adding that Mr Kelly “did his brother Michael proud.” Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald also described him as a powerful and unwavering voice for the families who led a campaign of extraordinary dignity and resolve.
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