Londonderry in Derry And Strabane, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Death of Innocence
Annette McGavigan
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 18, 2012
1. Annette McGavigan Marker
Aged 14
Shot dead by the British Army
6 September 1971
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Here the innocence of a child's world contrasts vividly with the chaotic violence with which others have surrounded her. The mural commemorates fourteen year old Annette McGavigan who was shot by a British soldier in 1971, the 100th victim of the Troubles and one of the first children to be killed. The little coloured stones at her feet are objects that she was collecting for a school project. The broken gun signals a call for an end to violence. The butterfly and the crucifix are symbols of innocence and rebirth. Annette stands for all the children who have died through violence during the Troubles.
Our challenge was to take such a heart-rending event as the brutal death of a young girl and make it the plea for peace and sanity.
Erected 2000 by The Bogside Artists.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Civil Rights • Disasters • Peace. A significant historical date for this entry is September 6, 1971.
Location. 54° 59.712′ N, 7° 19.644′ W. Marker is in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in Derry And Strabane. Memorial is at the intersection of Lecky Road
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Bloody Sunday Commemoration (a few steps from this marker); The Petrol Bomber (within shouting distance of this marker); Bernadette (within shouting distance of this marker); Free Derry Corner (within shouting distance of this marker); Seán Keenan / Ó Cianáin (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Bloody Sunday (about 90 meters away); The Peace Process (about 90 meters away); IRA Volunteers Honor Roll (about 120 meters away).
Also see . . .
1. Annette McGavigan. Excerpt:
Annette was the 100th civilian victim of the Troubles. As with a great number of the deaths in the Troubles, it is widely believed that a truly thorough investigation has never been carried out. No one has ever been charged in connection with her death.(Submitted on January 6, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Death of a Derry Schoolgirl. Excerpt:
In the crowd was Annette McGavigan, dressed in her full school uniform. According to a friend she was looking for a rubber bullet as a souvenir. One of the rounds fired(Submitted on January 6, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)by the soldiers hit Annette in the back of the head, killing her instantly.Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 18, 20122. Death of Innocence Marker
3. Wikipedia entry for The Troubles. Excerpt:
The conflict was primarily political and nationalistic, fueled by historical events. It also had an ethnic or sectarian dimension, but despite the use of the terms “Protestant” and “Catholic” to refer to the two sides, it was not a religious conflict. A key issue was the constitutional status of Northern Ireland. Unionists, who were mostly Ulster Protestants, wanted Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom. Irish nationalists, who were mostly Irish Catholics, wanted Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom and join a united Ireland.(Submitted on September 5, 2020.)
4. The Bogside Artists. Contains a photograph of the artists. (Submitted on January 6, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 18, 2012
3. Death of Innocence Mural and Marker
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., September 18, 2012
4. Death of Innocence Mural
Credits. This page was last revised on September 16, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 6, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,282 times since then and 97 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week September 6, 2020. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 6, 2014, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
