Tony Gregory… Beneath the Starry Plough…

Some thoughts about the removal and funeral of Tony Gregory yesterday and the previous evening. It was a strange and sad event for those who arrived outside his house in the constituency on Tuesday night. The coffin was wrapped in a Starry Flag. I overheard one person commenting that it as the ‘wrong colour’… and that it should have been green. A piper led the hearse and the coffin carried by four different sets of supporters with a large crowd made up of other supporters following behind. I doubt Tony would have agreed with the injunction that the first group carrying the coffin should ‘start on the right foot lads’.

Amongst those outside his house were Nicky Kelly. A short walk from there to the bridge at the top of the road where a much larger crowd including former TDs Joe Higgins, Catherine Murphy and Paddy McHugh met them and then continued on to the local church. For those who might have thought that a little strange, Tony being an avowed atheist, this was as a mark of respect for his late mother.

Cold. Very very cold indeed.

It certainly was an eclectic mix and a very large crowd (notable too was the significant Garda presence). So large that some of us were left outside by the time we reached the church. A huge contingent of Fianna Fáil and other party TDs and Cllr’s told its own story, including one Bertie Ahern beaming to all as he made his way in and out of the church on a crutch. And the sight of one local dignitary pumping hands as people came out at the end of the service told another.

Yesterday morning the Funeral Mass was an impressive event. And also one where some elements of the facade that often conceals the reality of such events, at least for those who would use them, slipped. There was genuine anger amongst his supporters, and others, at the way in which the previous evening had turned into a free for all for politicians attending. Hence during a fine and evocative speech by Cllr. Maureen O’Sullivan a very very pointed jibe:

“So how would Tony have felt about certain politicians and their lavish tributes and praise over the last few days,” she asked at the ceremony in St Agatha’s Church.

“And those people speaking profusely about him in death, but during his life, when he came looking for help, never as much put a leaflet in a letterbox [and for Tony that was not an inconsiderable show of support].

“His funeral is not a photo opportunity

RTÉ, perhaps to spare some peoples blushes, sought to portray the final statement on it’s 6 One news yesterday as referring to the burial, but in truth it was about the entirety of the proceedings. It was a somewhat chastened group of politicians, including the Taoiseach and sundry other worthies, who departed the church afterwards.

And Maureen was both affectionate and realistic in her description of Tony, mentioning just how much of a perfectionist he was and ‘the Look’, familiar to any who had dealings with him, an expression that blended disbelief, irritation and something near-pity at the inability of others to see reality. But the profile of the man with all his faults and virtues came through strongly.

Impossible too not to mention his brother Noel’s and partner Annette Dolan’s contributions, all the more heartfelt for being so restrained at a time of near unimaginable pressure for them and those close to him. And also that of Fr. Peter McVerry who noted the failings of society, and more pointedly, of the Catholic Church in ignoring the plight of those it purported to be representative and shepherd of.

But this wasn’t without political connotations, how could it be? Noel asked us to remember what Tony surely would have, the on-going situation in Gaza (Tony was in Israel and Palestine only some years back), and Peter McVerry noted that:

God help whoever fill his seat in the coming by-election — they’re on a hiding to nothing.

And again and again the reiteration of the idea, familiar to those of us who have been even reasonably close to him and his, that his approach was rooted in pragmatic achievable goals. Or as Maureen put it, that socialist theorists were not enough in this society, it needed activism in communities working on behalf of those communities.

The final farewell was held at Balgriffin graveyard where his coffin, still draped in the Starry Plough was brought to the graveside by the same piper. Noel gave a few very memorable words. And following that Joe Higgins gave a graveside oration, once more filled with real affection but not ducking the fact that there were significant differences of opinion between him and Tony or that the work continues.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam, or whatever is the secular equivalent…

And that was that. What more is there to say?