Unionists express concern over 'paramilitary trappings' at funeral of Hooded Man Joe Clarke who received an apology from police

Unionists have expressed concern over the “paramilitary trappings” of yesterday's funeral for Joe Clarke – one of a group known as the Hooded Men.
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By Graeme Cousins
Published 15th Jun 2023, 20:51 BST
Updated 15th Jun 2023, 22:12 BST

Mr Clarke’s coffin was draped in an Irish tricolour and at the head of the cortege were men dressed in black berets, dark sunglasses, white shirts, black ties and black trousers – an outfit synonymous with IRA funerals.

Earlier this week the Hooded Men had received an apology from the PSNI for the interrogation techniques used by the Army and police when they were interned in 1971.

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DUP MLA Emma Little-Pengelly questioned what human rights abuses Mr Clarke himself perpetrated.

PACEMAKER PRESS BELFAST 15/06/23 Family and Friends of Joe Clarke during his Funeral in West Belfast on Thursday. Joe Clarke, who was tortured and held without trial in 1971 as one of the 'Hooded Men'. The 71-year-old was one of 14 men arrested during the height of the Troubles under the policy of internment or detention without trial. It comes as it was announced that police had apologised to the men. Picture Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Press PACEMAKER PRESS BELFAST 15/06/23 Family and Friends of Joe Clarke during his Funeral in West Belfast on Thursday. Joe Clarke, who was tortured and held without trial in 1971 as one of the 'Hooded Men'. The 71-year-old was one of 14 men arrested during the height of the Troubles under the policy of internment or detention without trial. It comes as it was announced that police had apologised to the men. Picture Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Press
PACEMAKER PRESS BELFAST 15/06/23 Family and Friends of Joe Clarke during his Funeral in West Belfast on Thursday. Joe Clarke, who was tortured and held without trial in 1971 as one of the 'Hooded Men'. The 71-year-old was one of 14 men arrested during the height of the Troubles under the policy of internment or detention without trial. It comes as it was announced that police had apologised to the men. Picture Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker Press

She said: “Joe Clarke was buried with full IRA ‘honours’. Like Bobby Storey, in death it was confirmed that he was an IRA terrorist.

“Whilst the courts were able to assess how Joe Clarke was treated by the security forces, no one will ever know or assess how Clarke treated IRA victims. When will the truth be told about the human rights abuses perpetrated when Joe Clarke was on active service?”

She added: “Here lies the problem in legacy. Whilst the police and Army retained records and their leadership are still accountable for their actions, the IRA has no records accessible to the courts.

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“Indeed, when Martin McGuinness has the option of the telling the truth, he took cover behind an IRA oath.”

TUV councillor Christopher Jamieson was also concerned at the “paramilitary trappings” at the funeral.

Earlier in the week he had said that there were many innocent victims of terrorism who have endured “more profound and long lasting” suffering than that of the Hooded Men, yet have received no apology.

After seeing photographs from the funeral he said: “Earlier this week the apology from the PSNI to the hooded men passed without any critical commentary apart from my own party.

“However, the paramilitary trappings at [yesterday’s] funeral of Joe Clarke suggests that in at least one case those involved were far from opponents of terrorism.”

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