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LAST UPDATE | 23 Aug 2024
THE FUNERAL SERVICE of journalist, author and feminist activist Nell McCafferty has taken place today in her hometown of Derry.
Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill was among those in attendance for McCafferty’s funeral at St. Columba’s Church in Derry.
Delegates were also in attendance on behalf of Taoiseach Simon Harris and President Michael D Higgins.
People held LGBT+ rainbow flags on the way into St Columba’s Church and applauded after one of her articles about Bloody Sunday was read out during the ceremony.
Addressing the congregation, former journalist Eamonn McCann read out extracts from an article McCafferty wrote for her local paper about Bloody Sunday, which bore the headline “There will be another day”.
The article gave a powerful immediate reaction to the news that 13 people had been shot dead after soldiers opened fire on a civil rights march on January 30 1972.
McCann said: “Bloody Sunday is very important to Derry of course, it’s defined us all. Whatever you thought of your politics and so on, it’s defined everybody from Derry.”
He said that hours after the chaos unfolded, no-one knew exactly how many people had been killed or wounded.
The then-MP for Mid-Ulster Bernadette McAliskey, who was in attendance at the funeral, was given the names of the 13 men who were killed after phoning the hospital.
“I remember Nell holding Bernadette’s elbow as she was taking the names of the Bloody Sunday dead, and she just kept on writing,” Mr McCann said.
“That was a terrible omen, and I remember the shiver which went through the hallway and through the McCafferty house and eventually through the whole of Derry and large parts of the world.”
He said Bloody Sunday had an effect on McCafferty, on how she viewed politics, on how she thought of her city’s people and its marches.
In the article that she wrote for the paper, she called the infamous event both “a fine day and a foul day”, he said.
She described the thousands of people singing and marching through the streets as part of the “fine day” it had been, but that “death is no stranger to us now”.
“Let it not be said of us that they died in vain. Stay free brothers and sisters, there will be another day,” she wrote.
“And so there will be another day, but there will never be another Nell McCafferty,” McCann said, which was met with a lengthy applause from mourners.
Her funeral mass was live streamed and can be watched back here.
Following the funeral service, a private cremation took place in Lakelands Crematorium in Co Cavan.
McCafferty died at Beech Hill Care Nursing Home in Fahan, Co Donegal on Wednesday and her family have asked for any donations to be made to The Foyle Hospice in Derry.
During the Prayers of the Faithful during today’s funeral service, a prayer was said for “those who care for the sick and the dying, especially those who cared for Nell in Beech Hill nursing home”.
A further round of applause was held as Nell’s coffin made its way out of the church at the end of the funeral service and a hymn was sung to St Columba, the patron saint of Derry.
An online Book of Condolence is also available to sign and will remain open until Sunday 1 September, 2024 on the Dublin City Council website.
All messages of sympathy will be printed and forwarded in a Book of Condolence to McCafferty’s family.
Nell McCafferty was born in Derry in 1944 to Hugh and Lily McCafferty and grew up in the Bogside area.
After finishing secondary school, she went on to study Arts at Queen’s University in Belfast, where she discovered her passion for writing.
She began her career in journalism in her 20s, after first working as a teacher, and was a frequent contributor on Irish TV and radio.
She was a founding member of the Irish Women’s Liberation Movement in 1970.
McCafferty was probably best known for her coverage of the Kerry Babies case, which she collected in a book titled ‘A Woman to Blame’.
She also wrote the books ‘Nell’, ‘In the Eyes of the Law’ and ‘The Best of Nell’.
She also led a high-profile protest action in 1971 known as the Contraception Train, when feminists brought condoms bought in Northern Ireland down to Dublin, where they were illegal, and declared them to customs agents in Connolly Station.
-With additional reporting from Press Association
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A Huge WIN for common sense!!!!!!!!
@Kevvy kerrr: p s.— there’s a regular poster on her called ‘common sense’— wasn’t referring to him/her/they/them!!!
@Kevvy kerrr: I might be able to sleep at night eventually. A great day for justice.
@Basildon Joe: Talking to yourself yet again, I see.
@Brendan O’Brien: who Are you muugy man? Cocka roacho
@Basildon Joe: Yes, that’s him!
Absolutely wonderful work by the mighty FG, no wonder sensational simon is heading for an awesome win :)
@Brendan O’Brien: a crushing defeat for the climate cult lol
Over a million passengers arrived at Dublin Airport in 2023 and were getting onward connecting flights.
They never left the airport and therefore wouldn’t have had any traffic impact on our infrastructure and shouldn’t have been included in the Airport Passenger Cap
@Chaotic State: but they were not included. And yes this is great news
@Chaotic State: Actually 2.4 million passengers were transfer passengers between Europe and North America. Dublin is now the 5th largest transatlantic hub in Europe.
Great news!
@G: FG are a class act
There’s an argument to be had that the national infrastructure should be brought under the remit of the Oireachtas. A compromise would be that the cross party transport committee could oversee it, rather than the Government of the day. It’s absolutely bonkers to think that a road restriction from 2007 could impact the national economy through this infrastructure so much.
@Tom tom: It’s such a bad reflection on our politicians
@Tom tom: Absolutely bonkers to think that Eamon Ryan sat on the fence on this!!!
@Thesaltyurchin: Shock, horror…well I never…..
@Brian Hunt: that’s fair
Fingal county manager Ms Farrelly should now be sacked immediately.
@Gavan Hogan: for what??? Abiding & holding firm to the actual 2007 report??
@Frank Mc Carthy: Yes, an outdated report based on old infrastructure
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: mmmm, let’s see, say I just don’t agree with the speed limit on the motorway of 120km/ hr…… so I can go at 150km/hr??? You HAVE to operate under existing laws at the time
@Frank Mc Carthy: You seem to only apply that logic sporadically according to your comments on other articles.
@Diarmuid Hunt: ??chutes?? The ‘pot calling kettle black’ dilemma??
@Frank Mc Carthy: You were never the brightest in the shed it seems.
@Frank Mc Carthy: That’s not really a relevant comparison. Nice try though! Maybe you should tell the judge that gave the stay your little comparison and see if he changes his mind!
@Alex: shed?
Fire the clown immediately
There are 1 million more inhabitants than in 2007, that’s less than 20% growth, the total passenger traffic in 2007 in Dublin airport was 23.3 million, and back then the oil prices were as high as they’re now and you could buy a €9.99 Ryanair ticket to Barcelona and hotels were cheaper and widely available. A 32 million passenger cap counts for 37.34% increase. Europes population hasn’t grown that much since 2007 and most importantly, our infrastructure hasn’t improved much since then. It’s a scare tactic by airlines, you can keep up a higher demands with a 32 million cap without overwhelming the mediocre infrastructure we have. No metro, no trains, no extra lanes, no extra train tracks.
@J Ven: the M50 increased from a 2 lane to a 3 lane motorway. That’s a 50% increase. Much more bus services as well. Metro in the works….. How is it a scare tactic by airlines who have to reduce their capacity or not expand because of the cap?!?! It’s literally stopping growth, not just for the airlines but negatively impacting jobs and tourism. There are way more Americans travelling here compared to 2007
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: the M50 increased to a 3 lane in 2007 when the passenger traffic was 23.3 million, today remains the same, it hasn’t changed.
@J Ven: The M50 upgrade began in 2006 and was completed in 2010. If all stakeholders and news articles are saying the condition was based off old road infrastructure….. Maybe you might be wrong!!!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: a big scare tactic.and pure greed here. No metro will ever happen.
@Basildon Joe: Wouldn’t be newsworthy if the DAA were proactive and had the cap raised years ago. It’s nonsense to cap an airport based on infrastructure from 17 years ago that has since been upgraded…… Economic growth doesn’t happen with charity and good will, a bit of greed from them benefits us all with extra routes and more tourists. Otherwise the airlines will just go elsewhere to make the profit like we’ve seen with Ryanair moving planes from Dublin
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: I don’t know what age are you, but I drive a 3 line M50 in 2007, besides that, what about the other motorways, or are you suggesting that all hotels and tourists stays within the M50? The city centre is locked during peak hours, no extra lanes, not much has been done in Dublin or the country to transport that many passengers who are nothing going through the M50, but the M1 as well with the same lanes as 2007, the city centre and other parts of Ireland. I don’t know how old you are, but traffic wasn’t that bad in 2007 even in the city centre, it was barely manageable and starting to need upgrades that’s never came to a satisfactory extent.
@J Ven: You don’t need more lane on the m50.
@J Ven: Here, read the M50 website and argue your version of reality with them, link to their facts below……. Peak hours to travel to the airport are between 4am and 7am for the non stop departures from 6am to 9am. Travelling from the airport is probably busiest between 11am – 2 pm (all year), and again from 10pm to 12pm. (More so in the summer). That doesn’t line up with local rush hour traffic!
https://www.m50concession.com/the-m50-upgrade-2/
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: “Metro in the works”
Are you joking?
We will be flying to mars by the time we get a metro working:)
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: I’ll take that you’re a kid who doesn’t use the M50 or drove 20 years ago vs today. I’ll take you for a kid who never drove in another European capital. You’ve got two ears and one mouth, use them accordingly, the M50 is not Dublin, read about the traffic bottleneck concept in engineering, learn something and then speak.
@J Ven: I’m in my 50s, live in Dublin. If you’re going to argue that the M50 was 3 lanes in 2007 maybe get your facts right first, your memory obviously isn’t as good as you think. It’s a simple thing to get right and I was even good enough to source the info for you….. Dublin City is a disaster without any input from the airport. It is poorly planned. The country has also had a population increase of approx 900k people since 2007 and a lot of people moved to Dublin and commuter towns from the country since the crash, many of whom work in the city. Public transport isn’t amazing either….. You might take your own advice and learn when M50 was up and running as 3 lanes and we wouldn’t have gotten into this little too and frow! You’re welcome!
Every other industry will be looking at this now and wondering if the planning laws they don’t like that may affect their profits can now be scrapped outside of the planning process. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
@John Dennehy: It’s nice to have an independent judiciary
@John Dennehy: When a law or a planning is 100% outdated, judges shouldn’t upheld them, it’s common sense.
@Alex: What happens if a judge considers a law outdated that the majority of people, including yourself, don’t? Would you have a problem with the judge not enforcing it, or do you think you will be able to pick and choose the laws you want enforced?
@John Dennehy: hopefully :)
Proper order.
@Tom tom: yet another reason to vote for the mighty FG
Woderic O’Gorman says that a Trump win would be a disaster for Ireland. It wouldn’t be a fraction of the disaster Woderic has been to Ireland!
@Brian Hunt: Trump is a disaster for everyone except lawyers
@FoxyBoiiYT: trump is god
Fantastic news hopefully will see Trump Force 1 landing soon back in Ireland.
Outstanding – keep feeding the Dublin monster / it’s working out so well.
@Patrick O’Leary: I was actually looking for the anti Dublin brigade. I found you
Any time the government sets a cap on something (prices, rent, wages, passenger numbers) it never has a positive effect on the economy. Hopefully the Supreme Court steps in to overrule more nonsensical economic intervention by the government in the future, but I won’t get my hopes up.
@Frank O’Hara: Well, it looks like they all can be challenged now.
@Frank O’Hara: The government didn’t set the Dublin airport passenger cap. Fingal county council set it as part of the planning approval for the second east west runway.
@Michael Fehily: That’s incorrect. The cap was put in place on 2007 as part of the conditions of planning for Terminal 2. It was put in place as there was a concern over road congestion in the surrounding areas around close to the airport. Most notably the M50 which still had a physical toll both and was only two lanes. The new runway which has seperate restrictions is not connected to the current passenger cap that is in place.
Common sense prevails. Proof that the DAA & fingal council aren’t fit for purpose (already knew that) and should resign or be sacked
I dont have a view on the CAP per se. other than
Why is CARGO not shipped to Shannon / Cork
But I have an issue with court overruling the Planning rules.
Sets a bad precedent IMHO..
Can’t understand how people in the Midlands don’t use shannon/knock a lot more. There’s no traffic congestion loads of parking. You can collect someone stress free.
@Michael Carty: More comprehensive flight choice at Dublin because of population volumes. Hense better choices from Dublin
@Michael Carty: Because Dublin want all the planes/passengers/resources. The rest of Ireland can go f themselves as far as the Jackeens are concerned
@FoxyBoiiYT: Airlines decide where they fly not airports. No gov or IAA can regulate where they fly
@Michael Carty: Used Cork over the weekend, living in South Tipperary. Great little airport, in and out of security in 5 min. Parking reasonable, don’t know why anyone down this end of the country would use Dublin if they can help it.
@Michael Fehily: No, there are more destinations from Dublin because successive Irish Governments have for decades failed to foster regional development as to do so would require a level of competence beyond them – look at the boreen passing as a national primary route between our second + third largest cities (both with international airports nearby) as just one embarrassing example. I know you probably consider Dublin as being literally centre of the Universe but you should try taking off the blinkers some time. And BTW the word is spelt “hence”, not “hense”.
Waterford Airport needs government investment to assist the private monies already raised -
@D: O Leary asked them to extend the runway for his knew planes maybe 10 years ago and they told him no. They only figure out now that it should be done. Clowns
Great news!! Proper decision
Was Ryanair going to build a second airport in wicklow few years ago and were refused just asking why and by who and what reason
@Chris Whelan: Ryanair wanted to open Baldonnel as a second airport. They also offered to build an independent terminal at Dublin. They were refused on both because the govt feared a loss of duty free sales and slot fees at Dublin
@Chris Whelan: Ryanair should be supporters to do whatever they want. Truly amazing company
Hear…hear…we need unending pollution so billionaire airline owners can make more money.
No polluter pays nonsense!
A County Council should have no role in regulating such an important piece of national infrastructure.
Build a new airport in Wicklow
More carbon taxes for Paddy Irish instead
We can not deliver infrastructure in this country because of a legal system whereby the individual right takes preference over the common good, whereas Chona is the other way round. Neither is balanced, and we need to achieve that.
Meanwhile beurocratic and senseless planning systems (with a little bit of nepotism thrown in) simply don’t deliver for fear of a court challenge.
That is why projects like the Childrens Hospital spend years ( typically 7 to 20) the planning and 3 in construction with massive budget overruns.
Meanwhile m50 is gridlocked when a simple overhead rail system (or underground) should have been built.
money talks and BS walks.. they didn’t build another runway for nothing..
Horray, planning permission being overruled never ends badly in Ireland. Absolte Joke of a country. Simply cannot see beyond Dublin
@FoxyBoiiYT: it’s wonderful to see the climate cult in total meltdown :)
May build more fuel storage facilities at the airport now
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