Triple tragedy in one family should serve as warning to Covid ‘conspiracy theorists’

The funeral of a man who is understood to have been the third member of his family to die after catching Covid should stand as a warning to “conspiracy theorists” who deny the power of the virus.
The funeral of Tony Doherty takes place at St Patrick's, Banbridge. He was the third member of his family to die from the virus within the space of two weeks.
 His mother Angela Doherty and father Owen Doherty, who lived in Belfast, passed away within three days of each other.

Photo by Matt Mackey / Press Eye.The funeral of Tony Doherty takes place at St Patrick's, Banbridge. He was the third member of his family to die from the virus within the space of two weeks.
 His mother Angela Doherty and father Owen Doherty, who lived in Belfast, passed away within three days of each other.

Photo by Matt Mackey / Press Eye.
The funeral of Tony Doherty takes place at St Patrick's, Banbridge. He was the third member of his family to die from the virus within the space of two weeks. His mother Angela Doherty and father Owen Doherty, who lived in Belfast, passed away within three days of each other. Photo by Matt Mackey / Press Eye.

That is the view of Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly, after Anthony ‘Tony’ Doherty was laid to rest at the weekend following his death on Wednesday.

A hospital porter, he was widely reported to have died after contracting the virus mere weeks after his parents Owen and Angela died, also after getting coronavirus.

Aged in his 50s, married, and father to a son, his funeral was held at St Patrick’s chapel in Banbridge (in Mrs Kelly’s constituency).

Mrs Kelly had spoken out after news of his death, and following his funeral she told the News Letter: “It’s unimaginable grief. And yet people aren’t taking Covid seriously.

“You still have those conspiracy theorists and others. It’s still very frightening.

“This is a once-in-100-year event. There’s no map for how to work through it.

“When you hear stories of one family having to bury three close relatives within a matter of days really, you can’t even begin to imagine their own personal grief. It’s very, very scary.”

It is not the only multiple tragedy to hit one family, she added.

She believes there is a family in the Crumlin village area who had seen their mother die with Covid, then a daughter died (in her late 50s), and now another daughter is ill with the virus too.

Following Mr Doherty’s death, Banbridge Rugby Club issued the following statement: “It is with deep regret that we advise you of the passing of Anthony Doherty, father of our U-18 player Conor.

“Since first bringing Conor to mini rugby some eight years ago, Tony had been a familiar, and ever jovial, face about the club on Saturdays, offering support not just to his son, but to whatever Bann team he was playing for.

“When, encouraged as always by his dad, Conor took on the role of video cameraman for the First XV, Tony always made himself available to transport Conor to the match venue.

“And Tony’s willingness to help the club in whatever way he could was further exemplified when he took part in the gate rota for Covid-19 checks when youth training resumed after lockdown.

“The president and members of the club convey to Tony’s wife Deborah and to Conor their deepest sympathies on their sudden and tragic loss.”

Meanwhile, a statement from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, quoted by the BBC, described him as “a larger than life figure with a heart of gold who made an instant and lasting impression on everyone he met”.

The priest at St Patrick’s, Father Andrew McMahon, told the News Letter: “Our Funeral Mass in St Patrick’s Church provided a sacred space for his very closest family members to come together to entrust Tony to the Lord and to reflect upon his life and give thanks for it.

“His earthly life came to a close much sooner than anyone would have wanted, or expected.

“While this is profoundly sad, we acknowledge the much good Tony was able to achieve in the course of the five decades he had in this world and give thanks to God for all Tony contributed to this world in the course of his years.

“We continue to pray for Tony’s wife and son, Deborah and Conor, who are part of our community here in Banbridge and for the wider Doherty family, in Belfast, whose loss within such a short period of time has been unbelievably immense.

“We think of them especially, and pray for them, as they prepare for the funerals of their beloved parents, Owen and Angela, on Monday.”

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