THE arrangements for the State Funeral of Thomas Kent on Friday have been released by the Department of the Taoiseach.
The State Funeral will be broadcast live on RTÉ from 1.30pm to bring the ceremonial tributes into homes across the country. Kent was one of the 16 men executed in 1916 following the Easter Rising and one of only two executed outside Dublin – the other was Roger Casement, who was hanged in London. Following his execution by firing squad at Cork Prison, Kent’s remains were interred in an unmarked grave within the prison compound.
For almost a century the exact location of his resting place remained a mystery until his remains were found this summer following a exhumation led by the National Monuments Service. He will now be buried at the family plot in Castlelyons on Friday.
Caption: May 1916 – Thomas (left) and William Kent being marched by British soldiers across Fermoy bridge.
The funeral arrangements include:
On Thursday, at Collins Barracks at 6.30pm, a Tri-Service Ceremonial Guard – Army, Navy and Air Corps rotating – will take up their position around the coffin.
The Barracks and Chapel are open to allow the public to pay their respects and will remain open as long as necessary.
On Friday, September 18 at midday, the coffin will be removed from Collins Barracks with military accompaniment to Cork Prison for the formal Removal Service. Roads in the vicinity will be closed to facilitate this and there will be a short private service inside, to which there will be no public access due to security considerations.
At 12.45pm, the cortege will depart for Castlelyons Church with full military accompaniment.
From 1pm, guests will arrive at St Nicholas Church and any members of the public who wish to attend should gather in advance of that. There will be very limited public seating inside the church but there will be provision for viewing outside.
The Lord Mayor of Cork City and Mayor of Cork County, the Taoiseach and President will arrive shortly before the funeral Mass is due to commence at 1.45pm.
The Mass will be celebrated by the Bishop of Cloyne, William Crean, together with the Parish Priest Fr Gerard Coleman. Fr Gerry O’Neill from Collins Barracks and Fr Michael Kidney from Cork Prison will concelebrate the mass.
Following the Mass, the re-interment of the remains will take place in the Kent family plot, which is immediately adjacent to the church.
The re-interment will feature the key elements of a State Funeral including a Military Firing Party rendering honours, the Last Post, the Reveille, and the National Anthem.