Praise of leading politicians ‘unwelcome’

IN life, Tony Gregory pulled no punches in cutting through the pomposity of politics. And, in death, his close colleagues maintained that tradition.

In her moving eulogy in St Agatha’s Church, Dublin City councillor Maureen O’Sullivan made clear that the “lavish tributes and praise” expressed in recent days by certain politicians about Mr Gregory was unwelcome.

Adding that “those people speaking profusely about him in death” had “during his life, when he came looking for help, never as much as put a leaflet in a letter box”.

The comments received extended applause from the majority of mourners while several political figures remained silent.

In a stinging rebuke, Ms O’Sullivan appealed to those politicians to stay away from the burial which, she said, Mr Gregory wanted reserved for people who truly knew him. “His funeral is not a photo opportunity,” she said.

In his homily, Fr Peter McVerry also made clear that Mr Gregory had little concern for the political establishment.

He said: “Tony never sought to identify with the establishment, and indeed, I think the feeling was mutual. Instead, he identified only with the people of his neighbourhood, again reminding me of the Gospel saying: “The first shall be last and the last shall be first” — for Tony, those whom the political elite had ignored came first, and those political elite came last.”

It was also made clear that Mr Gregory had emerged from the political tradition of left-wing republicanism.

Ms O’Sullivan said: “His political hero, and it was no secret, was Seamus Costello.”

She added that Mr Costello’s example was that “it was not enough to be a theorist” but “active political involvement”, was needed.

Mr Costello had been a leading IRA member who in the mid 1970s established the Irish Republican Socialist Party. He was shot dead in Dublin’s North Inner city in 1977.