Families feud over where to bury young mother

TWO families were involved in a bitter and bizarre stand-off last night in a row over where a young mother who died tragically on Friday should be buried.

Her family insist she must be buried in Cork and her husband wants her buried in Kilmallock, Co Limerick.

A large force of gardaí were placed on duty at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick over the weekend amid concerns that the body might be removed for burial before a post mortem has been carried out.

Two firms of undertakers, one from Limerick and another from Cork, have been engaged by the opposing sides to look after the funeral arrangements.

The woman, aged 22, was found dead near her home in Kilmallock on Saturday. Foul play is not suspected.

She has lived in Kilmallock for some years with her husband and their two children.

As it was a sudden death, gardaí were obliged to have the body removed to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital for a post mortem.

On Saturday, gardaí in Kilmallock became aware of tensions between the woman’s family and her husband’s family about the funeral arrangements.

Gardaí, concerned that the situation might escalate, drafted in extra numbers into Kilmallock on Saturday.

Up to 20 gardaí from Roxboro Road garda station took up duty in and around the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle.

There was concern that the opposing sides in the funeral dispute might travel to the hospital for the remains.

“We were concerned and took precautions to avoid any incident,” a garda source said.

It is understood that one side in the dispute has taken legal advice and may seek a court injunction today to prevent the funeral from taking place.

Gardaí were still on duty at the hospital and in Kilmallock last night as the stand-off continued.

Some months ago shots were fired at a funeral in Kilmallock and gardaí confiscated a range of weapons which included slash hooks from a group which had travelled from Cork for the funeral.

It is believed that some of the people who attended that funeral with weapons are known to one of the sides in the present confrontation.