On the morning of Bloody Sunday, Tom Ryan from Glenbrien, Co Wexford, accompanied a group of IRA men to a house on Marlborough Road near his home in Stoneybatter on the northside of Dublin. Their orders were the same as the rest of the squads sent into action that morning to kill a selection of British spies and agents, but there was no one at home. Tom went home and prepared to head for Croke Park.

That night he lay in Jervis Street hospital, surrounded by his wife and family. He drifted in and out of consciousness, whispering his story to them.

When the shooting started he ran onto the pitch making for the north eastern corner of the ground. He saw Michael Hogan, the Tipperary player, lying on the ground shot and dying. He stopped and knelt beside him, whispering an Act of Contrition in his ear.

It was then he was hit in the back. He crawled out of the ground before being taken to hospital. His wounds were so severe he still lay in the clothes he wore that day. He died that night and was buried in Glasnevin cemetery, aged 27.