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Birth
Devlin was born in Cookstown, County of Tyrone, in a catholic family, where she was the third oldest of six children born to John James and Elizabeth Bernadette Devlin. -
Bernadette without parents.
Bernadette's mother died when Bernadette was nineteen, leaving her to partially raise her siblings while also attending college. (Her father had already died in 1983). -
University and political beginnings.
She was studying psychology at Queen's University Belfast when she took a leading role in a student-led civil rights organization, Popular Democracy. Devlin was subsequently excluded from the university. -
House of commons.
That same year she was elected to the House of Commons, where she represented Mid-Ulster at just 22 years old: she was the youngest member of the House. -
Battle of Bogside
After participating, on the residents' side, in the Battle of Bogside in August, she was convicted of incitement to riot in December 1969, for which she served a short prison term. -
Daughter
In 1971, still single, she gave birth to a daughter, Róisín. This cost him a little political support. -
Book
She wrote his memoirs in the book The price of my soul published in Spain in 1974. -
The truth about Bloody Sunday
She became famous because, when British Home Secretary Reginald Maudling declared in the British Parliament that the 14 protesters killed in Derry by army shots on Bloody Sunday were to defend themselves against the soldiers, the deputy, who had attended the demonstration, gave him a loud slap calling him a liar and claiming that the protesters were unarmed and that they were shot in the back. -
Husband
She married Michael McAliskey on April 23, 1973, which was her 26th birthday. -
Attack
She suffered an attack with her husband by British Unionist paramilitary groups. -
Wounded in shootings
On January 16, 1981, she and her husband were seriously injured by members of the Ulster freedom fighters, who broke into their home near Coalisland, County Tyrone. The gunmen shot Devlin nine times in front of his children. It has been claimed that Devlin's murder was ordered by the British authorities. -
Denied entry to the US
In 1983 he was banned from entering the US, and again in 2003 he made news again for the same reason. The one who was a heroine in Ireland, turned into a terrorist for the USA. -
Documental
It is a 37 minute documentary. The director was Duncan Campbell.
We could say that Bernadette offers a documentary portrait based on images of the activist (the first woman to enter the House of Commons, with only 21 years old). The images begin abruptly and in the same way are interrupted. We do not know where Bernadette came from or what became of her. In the second part, a text in the first person gives us a few clues of what is supposed to be his biography. -
Present
Bernadette did not get a seat in parliament again and there are no current data or images of her. Still alive.
