Notes on Funeral -- Stormont Watch

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Date Posted: Wed, Jun 20 2007, 11:27:09 PDT
Author: From CR Vets
Subject: Notes on Funeral
In reply to: Journalist's sympathy 's message, "Re: Mrs Mary-Ellen O'Doherty." on Tue, Jun 19 2007, 10:48:42 PDT

Funeral Notes to Derry News

1. Mary put great emphasis on the educational advancement of her children, viewing such as a key challenging obstacles such as state-sponsored religious discrimination, which was so prevalent during earlier decades. Such is well reflected in her surviving nine children, most of whom attained high qualifications including university degrees, some of whom are now known internationally.

2. Her coffin, draped in the national flag was carried by of groups of both men and women. This was due to so many requests from neighbours, local community groups and former republican prisoners. In relays they carried the remains the entire route from her home at Crawford Square to the doors of St. Eugene�s Cathedral.

3. Masses are being offered this week in Trinidad, Spain, the USA, Glasgow and London, and by Irish missionaries in various African cities. This has been confirmed by numerous e-mails to the local civil rights veterans� office, which Mary once helped to staff on a voluntary basis.

4. The coffin entered the Cathedral to the music of The Mountains of Pomeroy and on its departure to The Flower of Sweet Strabane, the nearest town to where Mary first saw the light of day in 1908. Other traditional Gaelic laments were both played and sung. Those providing the musical tributes included:

Aodan Dorach O Donnghaile

Risteard Mac Gabhann

& Padraigh O Mianain who played his own special composition for Mary�s final Mass.

At the graveside all of her nine children, many of whom travelled from abroad, dropped a red rose with white heather unto the coffin, after the religious rites were observed. Although traditional at the funerals of republicans, no oration was delivered, as the family felt that the tributes paid to their 99-year-old-mother by the priest who offered the mass, and others in the Cathedral, were moving, adequate and comprehensive. Her son Fionnbarra commented, �My mother did not belong to any one specific republican group, but I believe she was highly respected by them all, regardless of the differences which unfortunately have emerged over recent decades.�

The grave-side ceremony ended with the undertakers handing over the Irish tri-colour, after it had been folded into a triangle, to Mary�s son Fionnbarra, who with twin sister Deirdre, cared for Mary in the closing years of her long and very active life.

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