Three people will appear in Kilkenny District Court next Tuesday charged with public order offences following disturbances at a funeral earlier this week. Last Sunday fighting broke out in the Johnston Funeral Home during the removal of Josephine Harty, a settled member of the Travelling community who died in hospital last weekend. The melee arose from an ongoing family feud.
Gardaí in riot gear were called to the scene to quell the fighting which involved up to 40 people. A number of people were injured, with some allegedly receiving knife wounds. Two people were taken to St Luke's Hospital with head injuries which were described as "non-life threatening".
However, a Garda spokesman in Kilkenny said they had received "no complaints" from any of the injured. Five people were taken into custody. A spokeswoman for the funeral home declined to comment.
On Monday morning there was a heavy Garda presence outside St Patrick's Church where Mrs Harty's funeral Mass was said. A unit of riot squad officers was on stand-by.
Fr Dan Carroll calmed some minor disturbances in the church. Gardaí did not enter the church. At noon the funeral cortège, led by a horse-drawn carriage bearing a white coffin, passed peacefully though Kilkenny city centre to St Kieran's Cemetery.
Gardaí accompanied the funeral procession through the streets and were present at the cemetery but there was no further trouble.