Bloody Sunday refers to the notorious incident in Derry on 30 January 1972 when British Army paratroops open fired on Catholic demonstrators, killing thirteen, with another dying months later as a result of wounds. It's not exactly known why this happened; the Saville Inquiry concluded in 2010 that none of the demonstrators who were killed had posed a threat to the paratroopers and one of them had even been shot after already being wounded. The result of the shootings was that IRA membership swelled and the violence continued to escalate.
Around that time, John Lennon wrote a heavily pro-Republican song called "Sunday Bloody Sunday". This might have inspired the name of U2's better-known song. However, this song's lyrics don't actually mention the incident. Really, they could any of the killings or bombing that took place in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The narrator doesn't take sides and resists the urge to get involved or join in retaliation ("but I will not head the battle call") - he just wishes and prays for the violence to stop.
The Rattle and Hum documentary features a particularly famous performance 8 November 1987 in Denver. Earlier that day, 11 people had been killed by an IRA bomb attack in Enniskillen. Bono launched into a tirade against the Irish Americans who ignorantly supported the IRA from their armchairs. In later performances, he would ready out a list of the 29 people killed in the 1998 Omagh bombing, the worst terrorist attack during the whole Troubles.
Bloody Sunday refers to the notorious incident in Derry on 30 January 1972 when British Army paratroops open fired on Catholic demonstrators, killing thirteen, with another dying months later as a result of wounds. It's not exactly known why this happened; the Saville Inquiry concluded in 2010 that none of the demonstrators who were killed had posed a threat to the paratroopers and one of them had even been shot after already being wounded. The result of the shootings was that IRA membership swelled and the violence continued to escalate.
Around that time, John Lennon wrote a heavily pro-Republican song called "Sunday Bloody Sunday". This might have inspired the name of U2's better-known song. However, this song's lyrics don't actually mention the incident. Really, they could any of the killings or bombing that took place in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The narrator doesn't take sides and resists the urge to get involved or join in retaliation ("but I will not head the battle call") - he just wishes and prays for the violence to stop.
The Rattle and Hum documentary features a particularly famous performance 8 November 1987 in Denver. Earlier that day, 11 people had been killed by an IRA bomb attack in Enniskillen. Bono launched into a tirade against the Irish Americans who ignorantly supported the IRA from their armchairs. In later performances, he would ready out a list of the 29 people killed in the 1998 Omagh bombing, the worst terrorist attack during the whole Troubles.