Amidst mounting recriminations the Derry march went ahead along a curtailed route with none of the violence which had been feared. Later in the day some disturbances were reported from various parts of the province as marchers returned to their home territories. That night petrol bombs were thrown and two vehicles set alight in Derry. The Olympics continued to make news as the return of the Irish athletes on Tuesday was given enormous coverage by the media. The size of the crowd which turned out to welcome Michelle Smith and her fellow athletes was, however, far short of that anticipated due to atrocious weather conditions.
Death always makes news, particularly when it is violent.
The murder of Limerick man Sean Colbert was therefore widely reported and the motives for his killing speculated upon at length. The attention on Sunday turned to Croke Park where, much to almost everyone's surprise, Mayo defeated Kerry to reach this year's All- Ireland football final. This move prompted nationalists to cancel a protest rally at Free Derry Corner. There were minor skirmishes as a breakaway group of loyalists threw missiles at RUC officers controlling the route of the march. Missiles were also thrown by nationalists from outside the walls.