#39 Terry Crossan: 14 Shot Dead, Prison, Rebellion Against the British - The Troubles in N.Ireland
It was an honour to sit down with Terry Crossan, a man whose life is deeply entwined with the modern history of Derry and the Troubles in Northern Ireland.Born on William Street in 1952, Terry grew up at what would later be dubbed “Agro Corner” by the British Army, a hotspot during the Battle of the Bogside. As a young man, he found himself on the frontlines of the civil rights movement, navigating a city filled with tension, inequality, and daily conflict.Terry was present at the peaceful march that became one of the darkest days in Irish history, Bloody Sunday. When the British Army opened fire, killing 13 unarmed civilians, Terry ran for his life. That moment, and its trauma, would shape everything that followed.Terry reflects on the chaos and complexity of those years, the loss of life, the blurred lines between resistance and survival, and the human cost of the conflict. We speak openly about the murders of IRA volunteers, British soldiers, and innocent civilians.Following a truce that was broken by the British Army, Terry went on the run. Just 12 weeks after marrying his wife, he was arrested alongside Martin McGuinness and charged with conspiracy to cause explosions with intent to endanger life. Eight weeks into his detention, he received word that his wife was pregnant.He was sentenced to 22 years in prison, ultimately serving 6 years, one of the most infamous prisons of the time. While incarcerated, Terry used the time to educate himself, learning Irish and developing a deeper understanding of the culture and history he was fighting to preserve.Before politics, Terry was also a talented footballer, playing alongside future international star Martin O’Neill at youth level, earning an Ulster Colleges medal in GAA and representing Derry in both Gaelic and soccer.This episode goes beyond headlines. It’s not just the story of a man, it’s the story of a city, a conflict, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of division and oppression.
Ireland