Cork undertakers offer to bring twin brothers home for burial

Two undertakers have offered their services free of charge to help bury elderly twins who died in London within days of each other.

John Keohane, the owner of Keohane’s Cork Funeral Directors on Copley St, Cork City, said he was moved by the story of Bill and John Kelly, 77, who were facing burial in a pauper’s grave in the English capital until an appeal saw an Irish cousin coming forward.

“They were part of a generation of Irish people who went to England and it just struck a chord,” said Mr Keohane. “People are emotional at times like this, and I just thought I would offer to help the family along and provide our services.”

Mr Keohane added that his company stands ready to help with transport and logistics.

Longford-based undertaker Frank Kilbride has also offered his services for free should the brothers be buried in Ireland.

William, known as Bill, originally from the Turner’s Cross area of Cork, died on January 29 in Muswell Hill, north London. It was only when his friend, Margaret Deeney, went in search of his relatives to inform them of his death that it was discovered his estranged twin, John, who lived in Archway, had also died.

With their bodies lying unclaimed in separate morgues, the Irish community in North London launched an appeal through The Irish Post newspaper to find their next of kin.

Bweeng man Seán Kelly heard the story on Thursday on Patricia Messenger’s Cork Today on C103FM. He got in touch with Pádraig Grennan of genealogy specialists Finders, who had been engaged to trace Bill’s relatives.

Mr Grennan said their researchers used a marriage cert for the twins’ parents, Denis Kelly from Dromohane and Katherine Murphy from Banteer, dated January 22, 1929, to confirm Seán as the twins’ first cousin.

Seán said his wish now is that the two men be buried in a proper grave. Their father is buried in St Finbarr’s Cemetery in the city, and if he can’t establish the twins’ wishes, he will try to arrange for their burial in the family plot.

The twins were born on August 27, 1938. It is believed that, after the death of their father, the family moved to London, possibly in 1947.

They were described as quite reclusive, and Bill suffered from mental health issues for a number of years.

Meanwhile, £6,240 (€8,040) has been donated to a fund set up by The Irish Post to cover funeral costs. Some £3,240 was raised by readers; the newspaper’s CEO, Elgin Loane, donated £1,000, while London-Irish firm O’Donovan Waste gave £2,000.