Travelling to and from a funeral. His pale-blue coffin was inscribed with the words "our one in a billion" and took centre stage of the emotional tribute with his mum Mary weeping over the casket alongside his young wife Lizzie. A police investigation has been launched after 300 people arrived in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrum in Ireland, for a two-day funeral celebration for Davey Reilly. He said: “It’s not right that people in a rural part of the country who have done 12 months of lockdown have to deal with this.". The funeral of Traveller Brian ‘Belters’ McDonagh had been taking place peacefully when scuffles broke out at the door. A massive traveller funeral for Mikey Connors saw a major spectacle at a quiet church in Ashtead, as 16 Rolls Royce Phantoms blocked off the road. Martin Collins of the Traveller representative group, Pavee Point, expressed concern about large attendances at funerals. “It’s getting harder already you don’t understand how much I miss you brother.”, Another friend added: “Such a huge loss and all we can live for is memories and remember the smiles he gave everyone.”. Updates after 12 arrested over 'disturbance' as traveller funeral takes place. The hearse then joined the eight horse-carts as they raced at high speed along the road dotted by police officers. Gardaí were called to a Traveller funeral yesterday when up to 50 mourners, mostly from the UK, gathered to pay their respects. Golfers on nearby grounds looked on perplexed as the racers warmed up tearing along the road closed by the police at break-neck speed. Chief undertaker Paul Brown, who organised the funeral, said: “I’ve organised quite a few of these funerals but nothing on this scale. Photographs show a huge gathering of mourners descending on a cemetery for a Traveller's funeral despite Covid lockdown rules. He added: "He was like Father Christmas, everyone wanted a piece of him. One traveller said: "This is the ultimate tribute and nothing - not even the police - will stop us because Mikey lost his life racing and this is the ultimate honour." The funeral Mass and burial of the man will take place this morning in the north of the city. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Mourners at a Traveller funeral held in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim today broke through a Garda checkpoint on foot to get to a marquee they had erected in the Shannonside View estate. More than 1,000 mourners turned out for the funeral of a popular traveller who had 140 grandchildren. Something went wrong, please try again later. “I am very angry that for the second time during the pandemic there has been a flagrant breach of the Covid-19 rules at another traveller funeral in Dunstable today. Photographs show a huge gathering of mourners descending on a cemetery for a Traveller's funeral despite Covid lockdown rules. Traveller funeral organisers fined £10,000 after 150 mourners march through town. Traveller organisations around the country are today calling on Travellers to fully adhere to COVID-19 public health measures, including restrictions on funerals. … Cheshire Police warn there may be some traffic disruption. At least seven people were arrested following a massive lockdown-breaching event in a pub in Hackney Wick, east London, which local residents speculated may have been a social gathering following a traveller funeral. I was sitting in my flat when I heard the sound of horse hooves on the street below. Guidance on funerals: COVID 19 Guidance on funerals: COVID 19 , HTML HTML. To recap - if you’re just looking at this now - a ‘disturbance’ took place today during the funeral of Tom Harker, a traveller who died following a crash on the A66 last month. "Mikey had everything, he was a fighter, a singer, a dancer, he had the looks, and was a great horseman. Local councillor Enda Stenson said it's the second large Traveller funeral to take place in Carrick-on-Shannon in recent weeks. Harry & Wills speak for first time but talks 'unproductive', Meg's pal claims, Philip, 99, 'in good spirits' and waves as he returns from hospital to Queen, Police probe as human bones discovered in woodland behind home in Biggin Hill, Cop accused of Sarah Everard's kidnap and murder to go on trial in October. More than 100 cops shutdown roads and warned sections of Watford, Herts, were to be treated as ‘no go’ zones during the farewell to … The Mercedes funeral hearse, with 32-year-old Connors’s coffin still inside, raced alongside the traps with youngsters and his mum Mary leaning out the window to shout Mikey’s name. You can also travel from other parts of the UK to go to a funeral … Some of the crowd sang along, while other pumped the air with their hands. You can travel between council areas and protection levels to go to a funeral. The travellers are later planning a celebration of Mikey's life into the early hours of Wednesday morning at a secret five-star hotel within 20 miles of the funeral service. GOV.WALES uses cookies which are essential for the site to work. In many countries, funerals are held only a short amount of time after someone passes away. Cops were trying to clear the narrow lanes around the church as curious locals watched on while stood in front of a millionaire’s row of houses. The practice dates back years and is still the most popular method of burial in Tibet today. Do you know what famous footballer was told 'he must devote less of his time to sport if he wants to be a success'? A photo shows a huge gathering of mourners descending on a cemetery for a Traveller's funeral despite Covid lockdown rules. This morning police mounted a huge security operation to prevent any violence as gypsies arrived from across the world for the big send-off. A POLICE helicopter is hovering over Middlewich today as the funeral of a traveller is taking place. POLICE stood guard at a funeral as 60 mourners defied social distancing measures after driving the body 25 miles to a cemetery in the back of a Transit van. Two people have been arrested and more than 80 fixed penalty notices handed out following a Traveller funeral in Carrick-on-Shannon on Thursday, which … The initial service went ahead with a reduced number of people before huge crowds arrived for the burial. Mourners ignored lockdown restrictions to take to the streets and offer their farewell to a much-loved grandmother of the traveller community today as the nation entered its second national lockdown.. Family and friends congregated outside St Cuthbert's Church in Stockton-on-Tees today to pay their respects to Honor Francis, 63, who died on October 23 following an illness. Gardai were forced to turn cars away from the cemetery but mourners instead began gathering on foot in a local car park before walking up to the graveyard. The much-loved traveller passed away a little more than two weeks ago. Gardai call to Traveller funeral attended by dozens with many having arrived from UK. Under Ireland's Level 5 lockdown, attendance at funerals is limited to just 10 close family for the church service and burial. He said: “The public has taken so many restrictions on board, they’ve made so many sacrifices and it’s pretty demoralising to see such abuse of public health guidance and measures particularly for the people of Leitrim who have been doing really well on the very low cases throughout this Covid.”. PADDY Doherty wept as thousands of travellers paid tribute to his nephew today in a huge funeral featuring a fleet of Rolls Royces and horse-and-trap races. A police investigation has been launched after 300 people arrived in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrum in Ireland, for a two-day funeral celebration for Davey Reilly. The much-loved traveller passed away a little more than two weeks ago. ... Covid-19 Ireland cases today update as 646 new infections and 10 more deaths confirmed. Undercover armed gardaí will patrol a Traveller funeral in Dublin after detectives received intelligence that up to 70 people from the UK may attend and violence is feared. Ireland's Health Service Executive Paul Reid, who lives in the town, criticised the scenes, reports the Irish Mirror. Twelve men have now been arrested following an attack while the funeral was … A TRAVELLER gran with a staggering 95 grandchildren had her funeral surrounded by a police ring of steel to stop relatives breaching Covid rules. Around 300 people descended on Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrum in Ireland, for a two-day funeral for Davey Reilly with police launching an investigation, Join the lockdown community for surveys on your views. Other cultures across the world have also been known to expose a corpse rather than bury or cremate it, including the Zoroastrians, a religious group that today is mostly found in … The councillor said attendees to such large gatherings have "rode roughshod over everybody" with guidelines being "thrown completely out the window". Mikey’s horse Big T, killed in the same crash which led to the arrest of a man on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, was also commemorated at the ceremony with flowers in his name. Grieving, for all families who are grieving at funeral times. A popular Irish traveller’s funeral triggered large crowds despite Covid-19 restrictions limiting the number of mourners to 30 people. Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrum, was packed with mourners to pay respects to Davey Reilly, Ireland's Health Service Executive Paul Reid, who lives in the town, criticised the scenes, Subscribe to Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror newspapers, Greene King to reopen 442 pubs for outdoor drinking next month - the full list, People from England won't be allowed to go on holiday in Wales over Easter, Mum faces £10,000 fine and prosecution for balloon tribute in memory of father-in-law, Prince Philip, 99, 'in good spirits' as he's out of his longest ever hospital stay and reunited with the Queen after battling back from infection and heart surgery, Duke of Edinburgh left hospital earlier today after 28 days and waved to fans as he arrived back at Windsor, Boris Johnson said 'ignore it' as Covid hit UK and spoke of 'chicken pox parties' - report, The Prime Minister reportedly suggested the best way to deal with Coronavirus would be to "ignore it" - and there was allegedly talk of encouraging "chicken pox parties" in order to let the virus burn through healthy Brits, creating "herd immunity", Can you match these famous faces to their hilarious school reports - it's not as easy as you think. They noted that very few of the attendees were wearing face-masks or observing social distancing rules. Hundreds of travellers turned out in Caversham today for the funeral of a Finchampsted man killed in a car accident last week. You can travel within Scotland to go to a funeral. Women arrived in striking dresses, high heels and traditional costume jewellery - while the men donned shades, smart suits and slicked-back hair. Documents. This is completely unacceptable. Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty stood in the road shouting 'oi, oi' to keep the parade together as the horse-carts were flanked by the white Mercedes. “I have to say that the Travelling community in Carrick-on-Shannon have always got on very well here but today was crazy," he added. Whilst each family is individual and will have their own ways of doing things, certain traditions held amongst Gypsies and Travellers may have an impact on the way each person grieves. media caption Hundreds line streets for John Hays' funeral Hundreds of mourners lined the streets of Sunderland to pay their respects to the founder of the UK's largest independent travel firm. There were flowers adorning large photos of Mikey and his family - from holidays to Universal Studios to smiling family portraits with Paddy. A Rolex watch was made of brown flowers - displaying the time of 2.46, with the date '21'. The funeral of dad-of-two Mikey - who had been regarded as a "hero" and "brilliant fighter" by fellow travellers - was under tight police security. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. Very few of the mourners in Rathnew, Co. Wicklow were wearing masks or observing social distancing guidelines. At the funeral mourners were asked to be dressed fit for a summer ball by wearing powder blue outfits - Mikey's favourite colour. "His daughter said in the church ‘I know my daddy will have the best time in heaven because he always had the best of everything.’ And that’s right, it was beautiful. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. First published 3 April 2020 Last updated 26 January 2021. People in the same support bubble can stay overnight with each other as they count as one household. His funeral will take place at Whimple's East Devon Crematorium tomorrow at … Funeral traditions. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. A large white marquee had been erected at a home in the town the day before the funeral. You can unsubscribe at any time. Reports claim a bare knuckle fight is due to take place after the service to settle a long running feud. This operation is ongoing. Motorists are being warned they could face delays as a Traveller funeral is to take place in Nuneaton town centre today (September 10). Traveller family ignore coronavirus lockdown measures with 40 at funeral. A TRAVELLER gran with a staggering 95 grandchildren had her funeral surrounded by a police ring of steel to stop relatives breaching Covid rules. A police investigation has … "But this is nothing yet, we’re going to have a huge celebration later on.". “As a Travelling man I understand the importance of funerals in our community but customs and traditions have to take a back seat.". Roads are closed and there is a large police presence in the town as a large number of mourners are expected. Indonesia: The Funeral Takes Place Years After Death. Click here to upload yours. Conservative MP for the town Andrew Selous said he was very angry about the "flagrant breach" of rules at the "traveller funeral". The majority of attendees had reportedly arrived in British and Northern Irish-registered cars for the burial on Thursday, which followed a funeral in St Mary's Church. GARDAI were called to an Irish Traveller funeral on Thursday only to find that dozens of the mourners had arrived from the UK, in spite of Ireland's current travel restrictions. There was also a small white bungalow of flowers with a black roof and brown trim - written on top was 'may you get the best bed in heaven'. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Funeral notices, death notices, in memoriams, announcements and obituaries in Leighton Buzzard, Eastern Skip to Search While you enjoy our new look and all the great new features, rest assured that we haven’t changed any of the 4.7 million notices or our usual outstanding levels of service. The cortege was made up of white Rolls-Royce cars with blue flags on top, which brought traffic to a standstill after driving the mourners to the church. “An Garda Síochana liaised with the relevant parties and is not investigating any breaches in respect of the church element of this funeral. Wiping tears from his eyes after the service, Paddy told The Sun Online: "We weren’t allowed to cry at my father’s funeral because that’s what he asked for and the way he was. More than 100 cops shutdown roads and warned sections of Watford, Herts, were to be treated as ‘no go’ zones during the farewell to Mary Nevin, 72. Last updated: 26 January 2021. "It is inexcusable and in my opinion reckless. Northamptonshire Police said the family of Joe Rooney - known as 'Gypsy Joe’ - will be hit with the cost for their "total disrespect" of coronavirus restrictions.. Police have said they tried to stop large groups from attending the funeral at the Spring Road cemetery. A POLICE helicopter is hovering over Middlewich today as the funeral of a traveller is taking place. But my father wasn’t there today and so everyone was crying in there. Bargates in Christchurch. Bedfordshire Police tell me they estimate that there were between 400 to 500 people present when only 30 are allowed at a funeral. The suited travellers raced their traps up and down the road yelling “go on, Mikey Connors” and “this is how we send Mikey off!” as the horses hurtled along the road. Further details of the funeral of popular Devon traveller John Treagood have been revealed. He said: “Quite frankly this is just not acceptable for anybody settled or Traveller to be in breach of the guidelines. When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Mikey Connors' funeral also saw a tribute to his champion horse, Big T, who also died in the car crash which killed the traveller last month. Most read in Irish News Roads are closed and there is a large police presence in the town as a large number of mourners are expected. Last night Paddy - Celeb Big Brother 2011 winner - looked distraught as he led a 500-strong crowd at a pre-funeral. The force said it will review evidence and consider taking action. Armed gardai will be monitoring whether a Traveller funeral tomorrow morning will be the focus of breaching strict coronavirus regulations and if violence could break out in the aftermath of it. Around 150 people from the traveller community gathered for the funeral of Joe Rooney on Monday morning in Kettering, Northamptonshire, causing officers in riot … Keep reading to find out about some of the world’s oddest funeral traditions that are still practiced today. “It’s taken three weeks to plan and people have come from all over the world. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. A woman followed the coffin with a speaker, which played 'A Place in the Sun' by Stevie Wonder, followed by 'Shotgun' by George Ezra. A large funeral procession walked through Kettering today from St Edward's church to Warren Hill crematorium. He claimed it was a traveller funeral and officers "just let them get on with it". Mrs Hinch fans spot 'annoying mistake' on her new Dunelm wall clock, Mrs Hinch took to Instagram to share a new addition to her home interior. Mourners then travelled to Epsom racecourse and blocked off the road with their Range Rovers, waving on local traffic, to hold a horse and trap race before the burial. We pay for videos too. Family For both Irish Travellers and Romany Gypsies many family members and friends will travel Up to 200 mourners today amassed outside a church to attend a traveller funeral as families paid their respects to a tree surgeon who was crushed to death by heavy machinery in a tragic work accident. In this way people can show the deceased the respect and dignity they deserve. Worship, funerals and bereavement: coronavirus; First published: 3 April 2020. Armed gardai will be monitoring whether a Traveller funeral tomorrow morning will be the focus of breaching strict coronavirus regulations and if violence could break out in the aftermath of it. ... ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. Brother Simey Connors wrote: “I promised you (to) stay strong Mikey. However, he admitted: “It’s a really difficult time for people at funerals and grieving, it’s very difficult at this point in time.". For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, Paddy Doherty is overcome by emotion as he is faced with the coffin of his nephew, Mikey Connors, Paddy sobbed as he joined the huge crowd of mourners at his nephew's funeral, He proudly held Mikey's boxing gloves aloft as the large crowd paid tribute to him, Paddy is seen here holding up his nephew's coffin, Devastated friends and family members embraced the carriage carrying the coffin, Horses raced ahead of the hearse to pay tribute to Mikey, Mourners leaned out of the hearse carrying Mikey's coffin, A mourner arrives to pay her respects to Mikey, Family and friends gathered to pay tribute to the popular traveller, His boxing belt was paraded through the racecourse by the mourners, Mikey loved to race horses, and a number of riders raced their steeds along the road his coffin was driven down, Riders in their funeral outfits raced up and down an Epsom road, Mikey, left, pictured with a loved one in a floral tribute, Paddy Doherty pictured walking next to the coffin of his nephew, Hands from the large crowd of mourners reach up to steady and carry the coffin of Mikey, Mikey was given a huge send off, with thousands of people gathering for the funeral, A line of Rolls Royces arrive for the lavish send off for the beloved traveller, Paddy Doherty gives emotional statement at Mikey Connors funeral, Mikey Connors with his champion horse Big T - the pair were both killed when they were hit by a car, A banner paying tribute to Mikey was pulled through the sky, The Celeb Big Brother winner was overcome with emotion, Devastated family members take a moment as they look at Mikey's coffin, Mourners dressed in their finery - and drinking Red Bull - arrive for the funeral of Mikey Connors, Mourners were requested to dress in outfits fit for a summer ball, Mourners were asked to dress in blue - Mikey's favourite colour, Celebrity Big Brother star Paddy has lost several members of his family recently, The large crowd walked behind a cortege of white horses, A young mourner arrives for the emotional day - stepping out from a Rolls Royce Phantom, A mourner arrives in a short black dress for the service, Mikey Connors, nephew of Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty, competes in a horse race on the A3 months before his death, A red carpet led the way to Mikey's burial plot, Grieving family and friends take a moment before they pay their final farewell to Mikey, A young woman arrives for the 2,000-strong funeral for the popular traveller, Those attending the funeral were asked to dress in an outfit fit for a summer ball, A fleet of Rolls Royce Phantoms parked outside the church this morning, A flag declaring Mikey 'our legend' fluttered from one of the many Rolls Royces cars arriving at the funeral, More women in blue arrived on the red carpet for Mikey's send off, Mikey, left, with his cousin, who left an emotional message on a photo of the pair of them, Hundreds of people are expected to turn up for the funeral today, A police officer trying to control the traffic as more than a dozen Rolls Royce Phantoms arrive, Pictures and floral tributes to the 32-year-old are laid out at the cemetery, A woman in a black dress arrives for the send-off, Multiple floral tributes have been created for the funeral - where thousands of people are expected to attend, A floral tribute made in the shape of a pony and trap is seen at the cemetery ahead of the funeral of traveller Mikey Connors, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). “You can see it’s caused chaos in the town - nobody wants that to happen - but it’s impossible to organise a funeral of this size without impacting the community.”. Travel for Funerals Not Impacted by New Restrictions December 21, 2020 by funeral-industry-news No Comments | Category Uncategorized The travel restrictions announced on Saturday evening by the First Minister and Prime Minister will prevent cross border travel between Scotland and other parts of … Traveller representative organisations have called on the community to obey the rules around attendance at funerals. More than 2,000 people arrived at Ashtead, Surrey, to bid farewell to Mikey Connors - who died when a car ploughed into him and his champion horse last month. explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. Speaking on Today with Claire Byrne, Reid said: "Funerals in general, it's a very difficult time for people. But ditching troops could also prove a gamble with people's lives, Woman left in stitches at angry customer's maths mistake on face masks order, A customer has been left red faced after their angry complaint against a small business owner was shared on social media, exposing their misunderstanding of the term 'dozen', 'I stop parenting at 7.30pm - anything that happens after that is up to them', Blogger Constance Hall has revealed how she makes it work as the mum of a large family, leading to lots of praise for her relaxed carefree attitude towards parenting, Nokia to axe 10,000 jobs worldwide in £518million cost cutting drive, The tech giant - which came to fame in the nineties with the iconic 3310 handset - said up to 10,000 roles would be axed in the next two years, with around 100 employees in the UK affected, 10 worst Man Utd signings of Premier League era as Donny van de Beek eyes early exit, Donny van de Beek is eyeing the Man Utd exit door after less than a year with his move failing to work out as he joins the likes of Kleberson and Bebe in the club's worst Premier League signings, Cheltenham Festival 2021 tips: Newsboy’s 1-2-3 and best bets for Day One, The Cheltenham Festival gets underway today and our top tipster Newsboy has cast his eye over each race and picked out his best bets on Day One.