File noted SF official's seat in cathedral at State funeral

State funeral: The seating position of a Sinn Féin official at a State funeral was thought important enough to be noted in a Government file just released by the National Archive.

In October 1972, the Irish Press carried a report on the funeral of Mrs Kathleen Clarke (94), widow of Tom Clarke who signed the 1916 Proclamation. Mrs Clarke was a TD and senator and served as Dublin's first woman Lord Mayor between 1939 and 1941.

Mr Seán Ó Bradaigh, then director of publicity with Sinn Féin, attended the funeral. The Irish Press report said he sat immediately behind the President and Taoiseach, with members of the Government.

This section of the article was underlined by an official and it was accompanied by a note stating "Mr Seán Ó Bradaigh was not - contrary to what might be inferred - seated in that part of the cathedral immediately behind the President and the Taoiseach.

"None of the official stewards had any notice or knowledge of the attendance of Mr Ó Bradaigh," the civil servant noted.

When contacted by The Irish Times in recent days, Mr Ó Bradaigh was bemused that such a fact should be noted in a Government file.

He said he remembered the funeral but could not remember where he was sitting.

"It was such a long time ago," he said. He did not recall any controversy about his presence at the funeral or his seating position.

The file also recorded the unhappiness of the then Labour leader, Mr Brendan Corish, at not being furnished with a State car to attend the funeral.

Mr Corish said he would have attended the funeral in his capacity as a member of the Council of State if a State car had been sent to his Wexford home.

A Department of the Taoiseach official wrote that the question of providing transport facilities for Mr Corish should be borne in mind for future State funerals.