McSWINEY’S FUNERAL .

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160795, 1 November 1920, Page 3

McSWINEY’S FUNERAL .

SCENES AT HOLYHEAD. ' Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, Oct.' 30. Miss McSwiney states that she and her sister clung to the coffin at Holyhead, and had' to be forcibly removed. Father Walsh' states that relatives and others joined hands, encircling the coffin, and were removed amid cries of “bodysnatchers.” ; • Owing’ to the refusal of pilots to assist, the steamer landed the ; body at Queenstown/ ’ After McSwiney’s funeral. Archbishop Mannix returned to Portsmouth, where he made a prolonged stay. with Bishop Cotter. Since, his reception on September 23rd, Archbishop Mannix has not yet made definite arrangements to visit Rome or to return to Australia. j " Railwayman refused to take the military guard with' McSwiney’s coffin. _ An Admiralty tug, therefore, conveyed it to Cork. AT CORK. LONDON,' Oct. 30. When the harbour pilots at Cork refused to handle the steamer Rathmore, the sailors transferred the coffin to a Government tug. As the tug left the quay, a crowd of two thousand fell bn their knees and recited prayers for the dead, led by the Bishop of Gloyne. The tug arrived at Cork Customhouse pier at four o’clock. An enormous crowd lined the quays and bridges. No effort was made to remove the body, which remained on the deck under a tarpaulin, surrounded by wreaths. Neither the military nor the civil authorities chose to do anything until the relatives arrived in a train from Dublin. -Several lorry loads of armed men came to guard the vessel against a possible Sinn Fein rush. At 9 o’clock the remains were transferred to the pier, where relatives.took charge. ;The coffin was borne on the shoulders of Irish Volunteers to the. City Hall, wucre it lies in state until Sunday morning, when it will be removed !to the, Cathedral. Apparently the relatives would have continued to defy the authorities, hut, were informed that unless the coffin was removed at 9 o’clock it would be taken to the barracks and buried there. The warning had immediate effect. Many thousands filed past McSwiney’s coffin in the City Hall, Cork. The waiting queue extended two hundred yards. Business was entirely suspended. The funeral has been postponed until Monday to enable the relatives to appeal against the military decision that the procession must not exceed a quarter of a mile. Three volunteers in civilian clothes are guarding McSwiney’s coffin. Volunteers are marshalling the queue and maintaining order. Archbishop Cashel and. the Bishops of Kerry and Killaloe announce that they' will attend the funeral. Later., Sinn Feiners cancelled postponement of the funeral, which will take place on Sunday as arranged. The lid of the coffin has been removed, exposing the deceased’s features and a silver crucifix bn his breast. The authorities, prior to the postponement, had prohibited the wearing of Republican army uniforms, armlets, or badges, and stated that they would not permit Republican flags, except on the coffin. Whenever the funeral occurs, troops will he posted along the route. They will not interfere witu the general mourners or the obsequies provided, provided the aforesaid conditions are observed. They have also been instructed to avoid anything which might be construed into provocation. Rev. Troy, Catholic Chaplain-General iii the American Army of occupation at Coblenz, telegraphed: McSwiney died for things we thought we fought for in the world war. .