Michelle O’Neill: I will never apologise for attending funeral of my friend Bobby Storey

Michelle O’Neill has declared publicly that she “will never apologise” for going to the enormous funeral of dead PIRA chief Bobby Storey.
By Adam Kula
Published 3rd Jul 2020, 13:19 GMT
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill pictured during a recent joint Coronavirus briefing with First Minister Arlene FosterDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill pictured during a recent joint Coronavirus briefing with First Minister Arlene Foster
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill pictured during a recent joint Coronavirus briefing with First Minister Arlene Foster

She made the remarks in a press conference which is still ongoing this afternoon.

Despite the BBC reporting that St Agnes’ chapel had around 120 people in it during Tuesday’s funeral mass, Ms O’Neill said the gathering in the church was “exemplary” (government guidance states that there are only supposed to be 30 people gathered for funerals, not including clerics and undertakers”.

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She also told the press that “I am confident I can stand over the fact I worked within the guidelines and I worked within the regulations”.

This contrasts with her admission earlier this week that a photo where she is closely flanked by two smiling mourners at Milltown Cemetery “shouldn’t have happened”.

In addition, as the News Letter has pointed out previously, the regulations (which are legally-enforceable and binding) state as follows:

“(1) During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse.

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“For the purposes of paragraph (1), a reasonable excuse includes the need... to attend a funeral of—

“(i) a member of the person’s household,

“(ii) a close family member, or

“(iii) if no-one within sub-paragraphs (i) or (ii) is attending, a friend;”

In other words grieving loved ones must choose between members of a household or close relations attending a funeral, OR friends.

More to follow.

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