A Burial on Copeland Island

Details

Location

Donaghadee

Year

1964

Date

Production 28/02/1964

Length

41sec

Audio

mute

Format

16mm

black and white

Source

Funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland under the Archiving Scheme 2

Courtesy

Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Department for Communities, ITV, UTV Archive

Rights Holder

ITV

It is illegal to download, copy, print or otherwise utilise in any other form this material, without written consent from the copyright holder.

Description

The remains of Miss Aise Clegg makes the final journey out to the Copeland Island, off the coast of Donaghadee. 

A Belfast Telegraph article from 28 February 1964 gives more information on Miss Clegg's funeral and burial:

'A MOTOR-BOAT chugged out from Donaghadee to-day carrying old Aise Clegg to her last resting place. For the 87-year-old spinster's dying wish was that she should be buried on the now deserted Copeland Island. 

There, four miles off the mainland in the North Channel, Aise spent most of her life. She and her brother, Fred, lived happily on their small farm. But 11 years ago the elderly couple were forced to leave their island home because of ill-health.

Just a year ago, Fred died and was buried in the family grave on the Copelands. And on Wednesday, Miss Clegg died in Lisburn Hospital.

Fishermen looked on in Donaghadee to-day while the old woman's coffin was carefully carried on board the motor-boat in the harbour. Across a choppy sea boatman James Bunting led the funeral procession to the Copelands. There the service was conducted at the graveside by Rev. John Glenfield, of Shore Street Presbyterian Church. He said later : “Miss Clegg always loved the island. She always wanted to go back there.”'

Notes

There are three islands here – Copeland, Lighthouse and Mew, known collectively as the Copeland Islands. Although people did use to live on the isles, they have been unoccupied for many years. Deceased residents were buried in the kirkyard on Copeland. The last funeral was in 1965.

Credits

An Ulster Television Production.

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