Annette McGavigan

Annette McGavigan (1 June 1957 – 6 September 1971) was a 14-year-old girl fatally wounded by a gunshot in crossfire between British soldiers and the IRA on 6 September 1971. After three years of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, Annette was the 100th civilian to be killed.

Shooting of Annette McGavigan
Part of The Troubles
LocationDerry, Northern Ireland
Coordinates54°59′47″N 7°19′48″W
Date6 September 1971
18:00
WeaponsL1A1 SLR rifle

Early life
Death of Innocence Mural by Bogside Artists Original 1999 mural

Annette lived with her parents, four brothers and two sisters, in Drumcliffe Avenue in the Bogside and was pupil at St. Cecilia's College in Derry.

Death

On the evening of 6 September, in the midst of ongoing rioting in and around the Little Diamond area of the Bogside, Annette and several of her friends had gathered to collect the rubber bullets that inevitably littered the ground in such melees. At the time of Annette's death, British soldiers were positioned in the grounds of the old post office between the Little Diamond and Frederick Street; confronting a number of rioting youths in the Little Diamond, Fahan Street and Eglinton Place area. After the rioting had begun to wane at approximately 18:00, Annette, still wearing her school uniform and holding an ice pop in her hand,[1] was shot in the back of the head while standing at the corner of Blucher Street and Westland Street.[2]

Despite continued efforts by Annette's family to pursue inquests relating to the circumstances and culpability of her death,[3] no individual has ever been charged or brought to trial in relation to Annette's death.[4] The Ministry of Defence has refused to release intelligence documentation relating to her murder. Nonetheless, her family have vowed they will continue to fight for justice.[5]

After repainting in 2006

Legacy

Annette is the subject of a Bogside mural entitled "The Death of Innocence." This mural is located on the gable wall of a maisonnette on the junction of Lecky Road and Westland Street, close to Free Derry Corner.[6] The mural was originally unveiled on Wednesday 1 September 1999, and depicts Annette in her school uniform with an encircled, partly coloured butterfly to the above right of her head. To Annette's right is a broken rifle, red in colour, pointing downwards and enlocked by the colour white.

In June 2006 the mural was repainted with the butterfly coloured in and the rifle redrawn broken, reflecting the futility of continued armed activity.[7]

gollark: Hmm. This MAY be a problem.
gollark: d6.
gollark: I use my hat to deflect the spells.
gollark: Oh. Hmm.
gollark: I ask the wizards to clarify, d6.

See also

References
  1. Bloody Sunday in Derry: What Really Happened ISBN 978-0-863-22274-0 p. 249
  2. Bloody Sunday in Derry: What Really Happened ISBN 978-0-863-22274-0 p. 249
  3. "Family of Annette McGavigan (14) Killed by Army in 1971 Bid For Fresh Inquest". Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  4. Death of a Derry Schoolgirl - The Irish Archives
  5. "46 Years On: Annette's Family Continue to Fight for Justice". Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  6. "Annette McGavigan Mural". Conflict Archive of the Internet. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  7. Death Of Innocence - The Annette McGavigan Mural

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