McCourt funeral just latest of six republican send-offs during Covid crisis

The Eamonn McCourt funeral just the latest of a number of republican send-offs which have come under the spotlight for possible breaches of coronavirus rules or guidelines.
By Adam Kula
Published 27th Jan 2021, 07:00 BST
Images circulated online of the Jim Scullion funeralImages circulated online of the Jim Scullion funeral
Images circulated online of the Jim Scullion funeral

Mr McCourt was an IRA man who remained closely-connected with Sinn Fein until his death at age 62, whilst suffering from Covid-19.

The News Letter’s coverage so far of the story:

Click here: ‘Painful sight for many bereaved relatives’: DUP hits out over republican funeral

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Click here: IN FULL: PSNI opens investigation into IRA man’s funeral – ‘likely Covid breaches’

Click here: SF figure indicates republican funeral was toned-down event

Under the legal regulations of March 28, 2020 (updated in late April), curbs were placed on funerals.

People were allowed out “to visit a burial ground to pay respects to a member of the person’s household, family member or friend” – and social distancing of at least two metres must be observed.

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Although the legal regulations did not state this, at the time the government guidelines said there should be a maximum of 10 people at the funeral.

Below are the funerals which are known to have taken place of republicans since the first lockdown was implemented.

> The first republican funeral was on April 8, 2020 in Ballinderry, east Tyrone. The deceased was SF ex-councillor Francie McNally.

It featured a well-attended procession with a horse and carriage, and the PSNI said “some people blatantly ignored health advice and breached current legislation”.

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> April 15, a republican funeral took place in Lenadoon, south-west Belfast, involving what police said was “a large funeral procession” (despite a number of reports of this event, pictures did not surface and the deceased is unknown).

Police said: “Those people who attended have put themselves, the local community and our NHS colleagues at more risk due to the potential spread of coronavirus.”

> The funeral of IRA man Jim Scullion took place in west Belfast on May 5, drawing a crowd of people out of their homes; the PSNI say they monitored proceedings “in a senseitive manner”.

> On June 30, the funeral for IRA arch-enforcer Bobby Storey took place in west Belfast.

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> October 22 saw the funeral of ex-blanketman Hugh Fitzsimons in west Belfast; police said they were probing “potential breaches” of law and had “gathered evidence at a burial service in Lisburn”.

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