Family appeals church ruling blocking Irish phrase on tombstone without translation
'This was a poetic and simple message from the family to our mother,' says daughter Colette Franklin
Margaret Keane's gravestone was meant to reflect her life. On it, the family wanted a Celtic cross, an emblem of an organization where she volunteered, and a memorial inscription in Irish Gaelic.
But a recent ruling from a judge with the Diocese of Coventry in England stated that the inscription can only go on the headstone if it is accompanied by an English translation, to avoid being interpreted as a "political statement."
Keane's family is now seeking to appeal the decision.
"We were just flabbergasted, because it never dawned on us that anyone would say, 'You can't write that,' that the words were political," Keane's daughter Colette Franklin told As It Happens host Carol Off. "This was a poetic and simple message from the family to our mother."
Margaret Keane died suddenly in July 2018. She was buried at a cemetery belonging to an Anglican church near the family home in Ash Green, a suburban village near Coventry in England.
The family marked Keane's grave with a wooden cross while they waited for their headstone design to be approved.
The original design had incorporated a Celtic cross, accompanied by an emblem of the Gaelic Athletic Association, to which Keane had dedicated much of her life. The stone would also bear an Irish Gaelic inscription that reads "In ár gcroíthe go deo" — "In our hearts forever."
"The Irish inscription completes the design of the stone, and it represents both our parents' heritage and their culture, as this will be the resting place of my dad," Franklin said.
I feel that, as a family, until we get that headstone erected, and in the design we know she would like, that we have let her down a little bit.- Colette Franklin
While the local parish council agreed to Keane's headstone design, an advisory committee did not approve the inscription, so the family appealed.
Judge Stephen Eyre, QC, chancellor of the Diocese of Coventry said in a May 6 consistory court ruling that the inscription could be mistaken for a "political statement" unless an English translation was included.
"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," he said, as reported by BBC news.
The Church of England had since distanced itself from the ruling, stating that "this decision does not reflect any national Church of England policy." The Bishop of Coventry said in a letter that he is working to ensure that Keane's family is "made aware of their legal rights according to the procedures of the Consistory Court."
'The final act in the grieving process'
Franklin said the family initially considered complying with the decision to change the design, and even to include the translation on the headstone.
"It was only when the report was published online and then picked up by the social media that we had an outpouring of support and advice," she said.
On Thursday, the family initiated an appeal to the Church of England, which will be submitted to the Arches Court of Canterbury for review. Luckily, the stonemason has not started on the translation for the headstone, Franklin said.
Franklin said that erecting the gravestone is an important step to bring closure for the family after nearly two years of grieving. "This is the final act in that grieving process, and we can't complete that grieving process," she said.
"I feel that, as a family, until we get that headstone erected, and in the design we know she would like, that we have let her down a little bit."
Written by Olsy Sorokina. Interview produced by Katie Geleff.