Traveller rights groups condemn ‘distressing’ removal of 4.5m-high grave memorial

Two Traveller rights groups have condemned the “deeply distressing” removal of a 4.5m-high memorial over a Traveller grave in Sligo Cemetery last week.

The family at the centre of a local authority investigation into the memorial denied either organising or funding the marble monument. It extended across a triple plot before being dismantled last week.

The National Traveller Men’s Forum and Minciers Whiden have now called for an independent investigation into the circumstances of the dismantling.

“To see such a memorial broken and destroyed is deeply distressing,” they said in a joint public statement.

“No family should discover that the memorial marking the resting place of their loved ones has been dismantled and damaged without first being afforded the basic courtesy of communication, explanation and an opportunity to resolve any concerns.”

It is understood Sligo County Council ordered the removal of three white marble statues of the Holy Family, St Michael and St Gabriel and a supporting plinth by a private contractor before dawn while gardaí closed the cemetery to the public.

The primary headstone of the late Willie McGinley (23) was damaged in the removal operation, while the grave of another person buried behind the McGinley plot was also damaged.

According to the traveller groups, the McGinley family is claiming it received no prior written notification, no explanation of the council’s concerns, and no opportunity to address any alleged breach of cemetery regulations before the memorial was dismantled and “severely damaged”.

The two groups are now urging the council to provide the McGinley family with “a full explanation of the decision to remove the memorial, the legal authority relied upon, the reasons for the lack of prior communication and the circumstances in which the memorial sustained such extensive damage.”

As well as an investigation, the groups are calling for the preservation of all relevant evidence, and “meaningful engagement with the family regarding the restoration or replacement of their loved ones’ memorial”.

The council is conducting its own investigation into how the structure, beneath which two members of the McGinley family are buried, was erected on October 22nd despite only having planning permission for a 5ft memorial.

The National Traveller Men’s Forum and Minceirs Whiden said while they recognised local authorities are responsible for cemetery management and regulations, they must exercise these duties with “fairness, proportionality, transparency and, above all, humanity”.

They said the McGinley family has requested clarification as to why their memorial was selected for removal when they believe other memorials of comparable size remain in the cemetery.

“The McGinley family deserved compassion ... This is not simply about a headstone. This is about dignity, respect, cultural identity and the fundamental right of a grieving family to honour and remember their loved ones.”