Campaign to allow Irish flag on coffins at funeral masses

A life-long republican given just months to live is being discriminated against by Catholic church authorities who have refused to allow the tricolour to be placed on his coffin during his funeral mass.

North Belfast man Seamus McAloran (pictured) was diagnosed with terminal cancer last October and was told by doctors he had between 3-6 months to live.

A former republican prisoner, the 74-year-old has urged church leaders the small dignity of allowing the tricolour to be placed on his coffin when it is carried to the altar during his funeral.

Republicans have been banned by pro-British church authorities from placing the tricolour and other flags on coffins inside churches during funerals since the 1980s.

While some priests ignore the directive, others insist the rules are followed. The Irish flag was kept on the coffin of former Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness throughout his funeral, but others have been ordered to be removed. To avoid unpleasant scenes, republicans have sometimes voluntarily removed the flag before entering the church for Requiem Mass.

Mr McAloran, who is a member of the flag campaign group Dignity, has attended St Patrick’s Church on Donegall Street in north Belfast his entire life.

In addition to receiving all the sacraments, he was married at the church and has family connections that go back several generations.

Mr McAloran, who attends Mass every day, wants to be buried from St Patrick’s. However, church authorities have said the tricolour cannot remain on the coffin when it enters the building.

Last October his lawyer Paul Pierce of KRW Law wrote to the bishop of Down and Connor, Alan McGuckian, offering a compromise.

Mr McAloran had suggested the flag be allowed to remain on his coffin until it reached the altar, when it would then be removed and replaced by a plain cloth.

In response last month, Bishop McGuckian rejected the proposal claiming current arrangements “aims to show honour to the flag”.

Mr McAloran said he has presented the church with around 200 testimonies from people who want to see the current rules changed.

He has also provided examples of cases where grieving relatives have refused to remove the flag, forcing church authorities to relent.

His book ‘Where is the Republic’ provides a history of the republican movement and an analysis of the current political landscape.

Mr McAloran believes he is being discriminated against.

“The national flag on my coffin represents who I am, my identity,” he said.

“I will not allow it to be removed to gain entry into my church of 75 years.

“I believe this to be a discriminatory practice in this age of ‘parity of esteem’.

Mr Pierce said: “It is regrettable the length of time it took the church to respond to this issue ... our client illness has limited the time required to properly challenge the church’s position and bring this matter before the courts.”

Urgent Appeal