The funeral of Francis Hughes – An Phoblacht/Republican News, 16 May 1981

THE HARASSMENT of Francis Hughes in life, which was one of the reasons he joined the IRA, continued even with his death and the hijacking of his body by the RUC last Wednesday in contravention of the wishes of his family that it be taken through west Belfast where several thousand people had gathered to pay homage. The British, who feared him in life, considered him and the emotions he aroused a force to be reckoned with even in death.

The RUC invoked the Flags & Emblems Act to forcibly redirect the route of the funeral cortege. In Belfast, after leaving the morgue in Foster Green Hospital, it was sent through the loyalist estate of Belvoir Park.

This diversion, when the mourners were assaulted, led to a breach of public order, which was one of the ostensible reasons the RUC had in prohibiting the funeral from passing through west Belfast. In this incident an RUC man spat at the hearse containing Francis Hughes’s body.

Last Friday, the day of the funeral, mourners were harassed and were forced by the RUC to disembark several miles outside of Bellaghy and make their way on foot to as near to the Hughes home on Scribe Road as the massive crowd permitted. Thousands upon thousands of people streamed through Bellaghy towards Scribe Road.

At the bottom of an avenue of tall trees at the end of Hughes’s farm lane, Volunteers of the Irish Republican Army presented arms and fired three volleys over the coffin of their dead comrade. A guard of honour from the IRA and Cumann na mBan marched slowly as the coffin was carried first by members of the Hughes family and then by friends before being placed in the hearse.

Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Hughes family, GHQ Irish Republican Army, Derry Brigade IRA, South Derry Command IRA, the Sands family, the McCreesh family, the O’Hara family, Joe McDonnell and Brendan McLaughlin, the National H-Block/Armagh Committee, South Derry Comhairle Ceantair Sinn Féin, Ian Milne and Dominic McGlinchey, as well as scores of wreaths from other friends, comrades an sympathisers.

The Last Post was played by two buglers.

South Derry republican John Davey chaired the graveside ceremony and introduced prominent republican Martin McGuinness from Derry who gave the oration.

“He epitomises the history of our country; suffering and hardship and sacrifice,” Martin McGuinness said.

“His body lies here beside us. But he lives in the little streets of Belfast, he lives in the Bogside, he lives in east Tyrone, he lives in Crossmaglen.

“He will always live in the hearts and minds of unconquerable Irish republicans in all these places. They could not break him. They will not break us.”