Bobby Storey funeral: Call to release Roselawn CCTV footage and let public decide for themselves

The head of the biggest unionist bloc on Belfast City Council has come out in support of releasing any CCTV footage from last week’s Bobby Storey funeral gathering at Roselawn.
By Adam Kula
Published 8th Jul 2020, 07:00 BST
Roselawn cemetery and crematorium; the crematorium is marked in blue and the entrance in yellow. On Tuesday an undertaker said that a grieving family was stopped at the entrance just a couple of hours before the Storey family were permitted to congregate outside the crematorium buildingRoselawn cemetery and crematorium; the crematorium is marked in blue and the entrance in yellow. On Tuesday an undertaker said that a grieving family was stopped at the entrance just a couple of hours before the Storey family were permitted to congregate outside the crematorium building
Roselawn cemetery and crematorium; the crematorium is marked in blue and the entrance in yellow. On Tuesday an undertaker said that a grieving family was stopped at the entrance just a couple of hours before the Storey family were permitted to congregate outside the crematorium building

George Dorrian made the comments amid the ongoing political storm surrounding the funeral last Tuesday of IRA leader Mr Storey, who died in England after an unsuccessful lung operation on June 21.

Following a mass gathering featuring speeches from Sinn Fein leaders on June 30, Mr Storey’s body was then taken – unbeknownst to outside observers and the press – from the Catholic Church-run Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast to the council-run Roselawn facility in the city’s south-east.

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And in the days since then it has emerged that, while he was cremated at around 3.30pm or so, mourners were permitted access to the Roselawn grounds for what the council described as an “outdoor committal service following the cremation”.

It was further revealed this week that the Storeys were the only one of nine grieving families who were allowed such a service; relatives from all the other cremations that day had been blocked from the facility.

UUP councillor Jim Rodgers has said that whilst the council states that no more than 30 people were present outside the crematorium (the maximum allowed in law), he has a “well-placed source” who assures him that the true number was double that.

In addition, a worker has told the News Letter that a set of black-and-white-clad stewards appointed by the Storey family had arrived at the facility and gave the impression that “we are now running the show” – adding “CCTV cameras at the entrance to Roselawn will have captured all that was going on”.

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It has also been claimed that top Sinn Fein figures were among those attending (which would be unlawful, given that family or colleagues could attend – not both).

Councillor Dorrian, who heads the 15-strong DUP team on the council (the biggest bloc after the 18-strong Sinn Fein one), told the News Letter an internal council report on the affair should hopefully be ready by Friday.

Once it is out, he wants a special meeting of the full council to discuss it.

But regardless of what the report concludes, he is “not satisfied” with the fact it is being done by council staff, and says an independent outsider should be doing it.

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He has not seen the CCTV footage, which he says is now in the hands of council lawyers.

“That is allowing this dispute to happen,” he said.

“Whether there were 30 or 60, we should be very quickly able clear this dispute up.

“The council needs to have some confidence-building measures for people, for the community.

“And if that involves releasing CCTV, then so be it. People need assurances, and need to know what actually, definitively, went on that day up there.”

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As to whether he thinks the footage should be released, he said: “Yeah. I don’t know all the legalities. But what I say is, if it’s possible, I think there maybe is a value in doing that if it’s going to get to the bottom of all these questions.”

The council has apologised to the eight families barred from Roselawn, calling it “an error of judgement”.

The council yesterday told the News Letter it does not plan to release the footage.

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Related topics:Sinn FeinBelfast City CouncilJim RodgersIRAEngland