THE deaths of people during the Troubles in Derry have have been recorded street-by-street in a new book marking the 50th anniversary of the start of the violence.
The book is called ‘If Streets Could Speak’ and has been penned by Derry writer Brendan McKeever.
His work also lists the names, dates and circumstances of all those murdered during the Troubles era in the city.
Published by the Guildhall Press, the new book will be launched at the Ráth Mór centre on November 29.
The book covers the period from 1968 until the present.
It records the death of Sammy Devenney (42) from injuries sustained in a beating by police in April 1969 until the death in June 2015 of Paul McCauley.
Mr McCauley, a 38-year-old civil servant, remained in a vegetative state for nine years following a sectarian attack in 2006 by a UDA mob while at a barbecue.
‘If Streets Could Speak’ lays out the narrative form the location of every Troubles-era killing in Derry. It reveals that most killings took place on the Strand Road, Rossville Street, William Street and Buncrana Road.
Mr McKeever tells The Irish News that he was moved to write the book as a memorial to all who died and as a tribute to all who were left behind.
“There are a number of memorials to the deceased in parts of Derry but certainly not to them all. However, in this book, all of those who have died in the Troubles are remembered, no matter who they were,” he said.
He said everyone who died was “valued and not forgotten” by their relatives and friends.
“Place is very important in relation to deaths and often the place where the person was last seen alive and/or where they died takes on a special significance,” he said.
Derry community activist, Conal McFeely – who wrote the preface to the book – said the remembering the past was important.
“If society is to effectively deal with the past and the causes that gave rise to the conflict, then every aspect of society must be examined: the state, the churches, the politicians, loyalist and republican paramilitary organisations, the justice system and the security forces, all those, indeed, that through sins of commission or omission allowed this community to slip into an abyss,” Mr McFeely said.
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