Irish Republican News · October 4, 2010

Judge prohibits Mass attendance

A man facing charges over the firing of shots over the coffin of a Strabane republican has been banned from attending his memorial Mass.

In June, Conor Casey became the first person in almost 30 years to be charged in connection with a republican funeral. Casey has placed the tricolour on the coffin of his best friend, republican John Brady, before three masked men fired shots over the coffin in Strabane, County Tyrone, last October.

Mr Casey had been seeking to get his bail conditions altered.

He wanted to attend a first anniversary memorial Mass on Wednesday for John Brady.

Brady was found dead at Strabane Road PSNI station last year, hanging from his laces in a PSNI cell. His family don’t believe it was suicide.

At his funeral, a colour party in uniform and black masks flanked the coffin outside Brady’s sister’s home.

One man shouted orders in Irish and three fired shots into the air over the coffin, which was draped in a tricolour with a black beret and gloves on top.

On Monday, District Judge Liam McNally refused Mr Casey’s application to attend the memorial mass and suggested that Mr Casey could call to the family home at another time. respects.

Judge McNally said: “There is no reason he needs to go to that mass to offer his condolences... He can go to Mass on his own in memory of Mr Brady.”

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