Tomorrow night.

On the Finné documentary strand on TG4.

George Stagg looks back at the government’s bizarre role in the funeral of his brother hunger striker Frank Stagg.

Frank died in 1976 after a 62-day hunger strike in Wakefield prison in Yorkshire, England  where he had been serving a ten year sentence for a Republican-related arson.

His coffin was taken from the family at Shannon Airport to avoid a ‘military-style’ funeral prompting an Irish Army presence (top) and Garda baton charges at a subsequent ceremony in Leigue Cemetery in Ballina, County Mayo.

Finné on TG4 tomorrow at 9.30pm.

TG4 documentary to tell story of Frank Stagg who died after 62-day hunger strike (Lynne kelleher, Irish Examiner)

Thanks Paddy Hayes

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10 thoughts on “Taken In Death

  1. dav

    That should be very interesting. I always thought there was another hunger strike funeral in mayo or galway in the early 1980’s but I can’t recall the name..

      1. Joe Small

        I’m reluctant to judge them given that I was only just born and that the State itself was under threat from the IRA at that time. Its particularly easy to look back in hindsight and say they were appalling but they took over from a government that included several ministers, including Haughey, who actively supported the IRA and bought and imported arms to help them kill people.
        In that context, I won’t be shedding any tears for the funeral of a man who planned to blow up ordinary people in Coventry.

  2. Friscondo

    Great RTÉ Radio Doc on One on this utterly bizarre episode. The forces of the of the state behaved appallingly. That govt at their West Brit worst.

  3. Cian

    Wikipedia has a slightly different version:
    Frank Stagg’s burial caused considerable controversy in Ireland, with republicans and two of his brothers seeking to have Stagg buried in the republican plot in Ballina in accordance with his wishes, while his widow, his brother Emmet Stagg and the Irish government wished to have him buried in the family plot in the same cemetery and to avoid republican involvement in the funeral.[6] As the republicans waited at Dublin Airport for the body, the Irish government ordered the flight to be diverted to Shannon Airport.

    [6] Behind Closed Doors: Cabinet Confidential. RTÉ, 2 January 2007

    1. Friscondo

      Of course you don’t mention Frank Staggs’ own wishes. He had sacrificed his life on a hunger strike!?!

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