Farewell to steady Eddie

Farewell to steady Eddie

20 November 2013

THEY came from across Ireland and further afield to pay their final respects to Eddie McGrady. Over one thousand mourners packed into St. Patrick’s Church in Downpatrick last Thursday morning — where there was standing room only — to say farewell to a politician who had played a pivotal role in the peace process; a man described by political allies and adversaries alike as a “gentleman.”

Eddie McGrady (78) was a Downpatrick man through and through, but he had a strong emotional bond with his beloved Saul, just a stone’s throw from his family home.

In biting cold last Thursday morning, the former MP’s remains were removed by his loving family from his Saul Brae home for the journey to St. Patrick’s Church in Downpatrick.

The huge church had started to fill around one hour before Mr. McGrady’s Requiem Mass was due to start as people arrived early to ensure they had an opportunity to say goodbye to a politician who had left an indelible mark not only on Downpatrick, Down District and the South Down constituency, but made a major contribution to Northern Ireland’s changed political landscape.

As the funeral cortege left the former MP’s home, mourners were being joined in St. Patrick’s Church by a number of high profile politicians who were greeted at the front door by Downpatrick Parish Priest, Canon Sean Rogan, with a welcoming handshake.

The mourners included Secretary of State, Teresa Villiers, former SDLP leaders John Hume and Mark Durkan, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and Stormont ministers Arlene Foster and David Ford.

Also saying farewell was Seamus Mallon who made it a double celebration for the SDLP on that famous day in 1987 when Eddie McGrady finally wrestled the South Down seat from the Ulster Unionist’s Enoch Powell. Mr. Mallon retained his Newry and Armagh seat at the same Westminster election.

Past and present politicians from across the political spectrum paid their final respects to Mr. McGrady last week, including current SDLP leader, Alasdair McDonnell and senior party members Margaret Ritchie, Alex Attwood, Alban Maguinness, Brid Rogers, Dr. Joe Hendron, Sean Farran, Sean Rogers, Karen McKevitt, John Dallat, Fearghal McKinney, P. J. Bradley, Dolores Kelly, Seamus Doyle and Tommy Gallagher.

Also paying their respects were the DUP’s Jimmy Spratt, UUP leader Mike Nesbitt, the party’s former Environment Minister, Dermot Nesbitt, Sinn Fein MLAs Chris Hazzard and Caitriona Ruane and a host of Down councillors and senior Down Council officials.

Also in attendance was Fine Gael Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd, human rights campaigner Gerry Conlon, a member of the Guildford Four, and ADC Comdt. James Galvin, who was representing Irish President, Michael D. Higgins.

Dr. Billy Hastings, who served with Mr. McGrady on the St. Patrick Centre Board, was also among the mourners which included people from a wide cross-section of the local community, reflecting that the former MP was first and foremost a community man.

Students from St. Patrick’s Grammar School, where the former MP was educated, formed a guard of honour as his coffin was carried from St. Patrick’s Church before being placed in a waiting hearse.

As the cortege drove along St. Patrick’s Avenue into Market Street, it passed Mr. McGrady’s former family home which is now a gift shop. Some business owners stood at the front door as a mark of respect, while several others lowered their shutters.

At the McGrady family burial plot at St. Patrick’s cemetery in Saul, where the former MP was finally laid to rest after being carried to the graveside by former SDLP colleagues, representatives from St. Patrick’s GAC  — where he was club president — and pupils from St. Patrick’s Primary School, Saul, formed a guard of honour as the final goodbyes were said to a great politician, a great man, a great leader and a man whose politics were based on fairness, social justice and reconciliation.