A Matter of Minutes
Joanne O'Brien

A Matter of Minutes captures the experience of thirty-three people whose lives were changed forever by the events of Bloody Sunday. Photojournalist Joanne O’Brien paints a stark and stunning picture of bravery, endurance & survival - not only on 30 January 1972, but in succeeding decades that were lived in the shadow of that disastrous day.

On 30 January 1972, Damien Donaghy collapsed on a Derry side-street, a victim not of CS gas or rubber bullets but of the live gunfire that pierced the air on that sunny afternoon. In less than 45 minutes, the city of Derry was changed forever.

In an utterly unexpected British Army operation, live bullets were fired into an unsuspecting and terrified crowd of Civil Rights marchers. The horrific and unexpected scenes that followed claimed dozens of casualties and resulted in the deaths of fourteen civilians.

Disbelief stunned the city of Derry. As the Widgery Tribunal unfolded, hopes for truth and justice were replaced by outrage and despair. Three decades later, injured marchers, relatives of the dead, witnesses, and the people of Derry are still waiting for the truth about Bloody Sunday to be recognised by the British authorities.

Featuring Joanne O’Brien’s striking portrait photographs, A Matter of Minutes is a lasting testament to human spirit and the quest for truth.

To obtain a copy of this book please contact Joanne at books@joanneobrien.co.uk