as brazen as it might sound after what Adams said about Hughes, when BH died whatever voice it is inside Adams head decreed that he would be cheif mourner at the funeral, or at least seen to be . Many people simply couldnt believe it . But he set to work on the hughes family in much the same way hed pressurised Aine Dahlstrom. Some of whom werent political and others whod been out of the country for years and werent aware of the bitter gulf between the 2 men, which had become deeply personal and not just political.
So when Brendan Hughes slipped into a coma Adams got himself to the hospital and right beside the bed as if all had been forgiven and the 2 reconciled, even though hughes had no knowlege of his presence. He and his entourage packed the wakehouse sticking to the family like glue. Then on the day of the funeral it really took out. I was sitting just a few pews behind the louse in the chapel. As soon as the mass started he immediately got up from his seat and walked up and down the side aisle as if he was taking a call on his mobile. Then he walked the length of the chapel right up behind the altar, wandered round a bit there and went into a side room for a few minutes, right in the middle of the mass. Because of the controversy over his attendance all eyes were on him and he knew it, it was a performance . Then he came back out of the room, wandered behind the altar again for a bit and then returned to his seat halfway through an ongoing funeral mass, no respect whatsoever.
During the priests homily for Hughes the priest referred directly to Adams scurrilous accusation that Brendan Hughes was responsible for the deaths of ten hungerstrikers, an accusation the priest called beneath contempt and calculated to mentally torture brendan hughes who did blame himself in ways and suffered awful personal demons over. Those demons drove Brendan Hughes to an early grave in many ways. He didnt name Adams but everyone knew who he was talking about.
So 15 minutes later Adams took his revenge on the priest. As he was leading the coffin down the centre aisle Adams waited until he was level with his pew before deciding to get up and go out the door, barging the preist out of the way pretty much, the preist had to stand aside or hed have been knocked over . And the little entourage had to follow too. Adams then made a bolt for the front door of the chapel as thats were the cameras and the photo opportunity were when the coffin came out the door. He had to be centre stage.
And the finale, he spots the tv cameras again up at the falls road just outside the sinn fein centre and thats when he signals the son to run. The 2 of them took off like hares running up Divis street to be seen carrying the coffin . And then wangles it so the garden of rembrance gates are closed behind the coffin and he goes in with the family as cheif mourner for the reflection period while everyone else stays outside. The guy chairing the funeral later admitted he just didnt have the backbone to stand up to Adams pressure at the time and deeply regrets permitting it .
so like i said the guys brazenness has to be seen to believed, and sadly ive seen it . More than once.
