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THE REMAINS OF an infamous Irish-Australian outlaw are to be released to his family – almost 131 years after his death – so that he can be buried with his descendants.
Ned Kelly, whose exploits spawned two major Hollywood films starring Mick Jagger and Heath Ledger, was put to death for the murder of a policeman on November 11, 1880 – precisely 131 years ago this Friday.
Kelly had also been connected with the death of two other policemen – but was seen by many as a folk hero for his stance in opposing the British authorities of the day.
He was hanged in Melbourne Gaol and his body was thrown into a mass grave – where it went missing until two months ago, when DNA samples from an unidentified skeleton showed a positive match with those of Kelly’s descendants.
Now, AFP reports, Kelly’s last wish – that his body be released to his friends, “that they might bury it on consecrated ground” – is to be realised.
His great-great nephew Anthony Griffiths told ABC radio that the family had wanted “what every family wants: just a dignified family burial.
While no decision had been reached on his place of burial, the family said it would like to have a private family service with a later public event to cater for other people who wished to mark his burial.
Relatives of Kelly’s victims, however, were more critical of the plans.
Leading senior constable Mick Kennedy, whose namesake great grandfather was a sergeant killed by Kelly in 1878, said his ascendant’s wife had been left a widow with six children, “and there was no public service for her”.
The Victorian attorney-general Robert Clark, who made the decision to release the remains, told the Sydney Morning Herald he would oppose a public event.
The burial was “a matter of finding an appropriate and respectful resting place” for Kelly but not a chance to pay homage to him, he said.
AFP said he was likely to be put to rest in a small cemetery outside Glenrowan, around 120 miles north-east of Melbourne, where his mother and several siblings are buried in unmarked graves.
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“Give me unlimited power” but you don’t get to know what power I get until I have it
@Adam Rekio: They can hide from their incompetence behind these laws. Restrict peoples freedoms and make it seem like they’re doing a good job, but in reality they’re doing nothing to improve things in any sector that its needed for people to be able to “live with covid”. They’ve also now got people in to such a fearful state that the majority are willing to freely give up those freedoms and not ask questions. It has taken long enough for the opposition to start to ask these types of questions, I wonder will they be labelled anti-vaxxers now?!
@bob hope: whist or you’ll have the ‘what freedoms have we given up’ brigade then be laballed an anti vaxer for voicing an opinion that offends them as they do not want to acknowledge what is happening in front of their very eyes.
@Hear me now: Baa baa black sheep have you any wool!
It’s all about keeping control folks
@Maurice O Neill: can you expand?
@Paul Clancy: Join the dots yourself Einstein
@James Daly: all we ever hear is “it’s about control” no one has ever said exactly how. Simple one liners are the bread and butter of conspiracy theorist.
@Paul Clancy: I’m not helping you Paul. You’ll have to join the dots by yourself.
The emergency powers should have been phased out months ago. The vaccine uptake has been great. It’s ridiculous that these powers need to be extended again and again. Time to just live with Covid for everyone, vaccinated and non vaccinated. Its been two years.
Donnelly is so incompetent giving him free reign does seem a bit much….
Does no one else see how odd this is ? This makes no sense at all.
@Bobby Jones: Odd that it’s taken them so long to start asking questions about the violation of people’s civil liberties?
It almost like some crazy tin foil hat conspiracy theory that was only recently being ridiculed, just came to life…
@David Van-Standen: Next they will have to stop general elections as it could spread covid
@Adam Rekio: there’s a reason there hasn’t been election in quite some time.
@neuromancer: since last year,you mean?
@Adam Rekio: not possible to stop them.
I think we’re going down the wrong road with this. This is dangerous. There are precedents being set here. Under no circumstances should any elected official have powers that are not open to scrutiny. It only takes one headbanger to abuse these powers and you’re living in tyranny where discrimination and coercion are the norm. Minorities will be isolated and redeculed. Bodily integrity will become meaningless.Your freedom of choice will be out the window. Who wants to live in a world like that.
@James Daly: have an old read of the constitution. You’re some man for scare mongering.
@Paul Clancy: sure the constitution gives you your fundimental rights but, and big but.. Fundamental rights are not absolute – they can be limited or restricted by the Oireachtas for certain reasons, for example, for the common good or public order. Then all bets are off. The safeguards against headbangers like Donnelly abusing his position in such instances are debate and scrutiny. Exactly what he doesn’t want to happen. Wonder why?
Donnelly is like a dog with two knobs at this stage…. Too much control for one TD to hold and that’s the problem with this whole Covid crapola show is for all parties to work together to find solutions not just the ones that hold the house….
How has it taken two years for opposing TD’s to start asking the right questions. The mind boggles how we have people out there that are “fully vaccinated “and are supporting these restrictions. These are the types of klowns that start their comments with “ I’ve had my two jabs and I’m getting my booster on Wednesday “
Smacking of arrogance as this undoubtedly does and desirable as it would be to have Dáil scrutiny would it make any difference to the outcome? Most T.D.’s are terrified of speaking out in any meaningful way against these emergency powers in case they’re labelled ‘anti-science’ or of playing politics with people’s health and lives. It’s a very easy stick to beat them with. It would definitely be interesting though to see how it would go…
@William Tallon: Any decision any government makes should be open to scrutiny, and any resistance to that scrutiny should set more alarm bells ringing than the decisions themselves. TDs are only people who are in the position they’re in because of people who voted them in to the position. Some people go on like they’re gods who must be obeyed at all costs!
@bob hope: Not all Government decisions are open to scrutiny though. Article 28.4 of the Constitution states “The confidentiality of discussions at meetings of the Government shall be respected in all circumstances save only where the High Court determines that disclosure should be made in respect of a particular matter…” I think this is a principle most democratic governments subscribe to and probably for good reason in many cases. That doesn’t mean by the way I don’t favour more transparency…
@William Tallon: That states Government discussions, and not decisions. Regardless this would be superceded by our own constitutional rights and civil liberties, hence the reason why things like this need to be backed by a majority in a vote by TDs and other levels, and hence the argument at hand. They also need to be signed off by the President, who only recently raised a concern about some of the things being pushed through by this government without the time for proper scrutiny. Without a doubt trying to take advantage of the situation as it is and the penny ot seems is only starting to drop in certain quarters!
@bob hope: Discussions are a prerequisite for decisions so if you want to scrutinise Government decisions you’ll need to know how they were arrived at which would mean having access to those Cabinet level discussions and that is precluded by the Constitution. So far as I can tell there is no other provision in the Constitution that grants the individual the right to supersede this provision. I’d be interested to know if you’re aware of such a provision though.
@William Tallon: It’s one of the main principles of democracy, so will always supercede any decisions that go against that principle. I wouldn’t have thought that would need an explanation?
“Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said to have debate and scrutiny on the emergency legislation would more or less take 33 weeks, six hours a day, three days a week.” – I don’t see how it would take that long. I liked Donnelly when he was an SD, I was skeptical when he jumped ship to FF but decided I would give him a chance, he’s had his chance now and has proved to be useless and a hypocrite
Where was Alan Kelly from Labour in this debate? No word from him about democracy and Civil Rights?
If there is hope it lies in the proles.
Paradoxical that
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