The full list: All the republican funerals in Northern Ireland since lockdown began

Here is a timeline of all such funerals which have caught public attention since lockdown began last March:

> On April 8, 2020 in Ballinderry, east Tyrone, the funeral took place for 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” – questions asked about ‘social distancing’ after crowds attend funeral of republican Francie McNally

> On April 15, another 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.” – Latest large republican funeral procession ‘an insult’ to law-abiding public who have also lost loved ones

> 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 sensitive manner”. Police say they ‘sensitively monitored situation’ as images emerge of yet another large republican funeral gathering

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

> 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”. PSNI investigates possible Covid-19 rule breaches at republican funeral

> On January 25 images emerged of the large-scale funeral for former IRA man Eamonn ‘Peggy’ McCourt in Londonderry.

Despite Sinn Fein saying he had died after battling Covid-19, his body had been taken home in apparent defiance of the pandemic guidelines. Images emerge of crowd of mourners at new republican funeral procession

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