The Church of England has disowned a legal ruling in its own religious courts after a grieving family was banned from erecting a memorial with an untranslated motto in Irish because it might arouse political “passions”.
The decision by Stephen Eyre QC, chancellor of the consistory court in the diocese of Coventry, has provoked outrage and accusations of encouraging prejudice and anti-Irish sentiment. An appeal has been launched.
The family of Margaret Keane, who died aged 73 in 2018, had sought permission for an inscription on her grave in the grounds of St Giles Church, in Exhall, near Nuneaton. She and her husband were born in the Irish Republic but lived in the UK; they were active in the Gaelic Athletic Association.
The family wanted to have a Celtic cross bearing the words “In ár gcroíthe go deo”, which translates as “In our hearts forever”. The diocesan advisory committee denied approval.
Their application was referred to the diocesan consistory court. In his ruling, Judge Eyre, who also sits as a recorder in crown and county courts, concluded: “Given the passions and feelings connected with the use of Irish Gaelic there is a sad risk that the phrase would be regarded as some form of slogan or that its inclusion without translation would of itself be seen as a political statement
“That is not appropriate and it follows that the phrase ‘In ár gcroíthe go deo’ must be accompanied by a translation which can be in a smaller font size.”
The refusal was greeted with astonishment, not least by the Anglican hierarchy. A statement issued in London said: “This decision does not reflect any national Church of England policy. Consistory court judgments may, with permission, be appealed to the provincial court of the archbishop, in this case the arches court of Canterbury.
“The Irish language is an important part of the heritage of the Church of England. It was, after all, Irish speaking monks in Lindisfarne and beyond who played a central role in establishing the Church in what is now England.”
The bishop of Coventry, Christopher Cocksworth, said: “I am deeply saddened whenever people’s identity is hurt or offended. The diocese of Coventry will continue to work for reconciliation in our world.
“I am praying for this particular situation, especially for a distressed family, and I am ensuring they are made aware of their legal rights according to the procedures of the consistory court.”
Caoilfhionn Gallagher QC, who will represent the family at the appeal, published a blog criticising the ruling: “What is the evidence base for assuming there to be such anti-Irish sentiment amongst those who walk in Coventry graveyards? And if there is such prejudice, why pander to it and deny a perfectly reasonable request from a grieving family?”
She also noted that the epitaph on Spike Milligan’s headstone in St Thomas’s Church graveyard in Winchelsea, “is in Irish, ‘Dúirt mé leat go raibh mé breoite’ [I told you I was ill].
“It is in Irish precisely because the diocese of Chichester did not consider his chosen epitaph appropriate for a churchyard, and an Irish translation was the compromise reached by the family with the diocese.”
On Friday, Keane’s daughters, Bez Martin and Caroline Newey, issued a statement saying: “The chancellor of Coventry ruled against our choice of wording for the memorial headstone, refusing our wish to have an inscription in Irish without translation. We are very disappointed by the ruling which has politicised a grieving family’s final declaration of love. It has been devastating to us, and it has suspended the grieving process. Almost two years on, we have no final memorial for her yet.”
