22-04-2025
Man banned from visiting father's grave after decades-long dispute with Catholic Church
In a strongly-worded missive, a solicitor acting for the Archbishop and the Armagh Diocese asked McConnell to confirm he will 'refrain from attending at church premises'
Luke McConnell claims he is unable to visit his fathers grave since receiving a letter from the legal representatives of the Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin in 2018 barring him from all church premises
Luke McConnell claims he is unable to visit his fathers grave since receiving a letter from the legal representatives of the Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin in 2018 barring him from all church premises
Luke McConnell claims he is unable to visit his fathers grave since receiving a letter from the legal representatives of the Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin in 2018 barring him from all church premises
Luke McConnell cliams he is forbidden by the Archbishop of Armagh from visiting his fathers grave in St Johns Parish Monaghan road Middletown.
Luke McConnell claims he is unable to visit his fathers grave since receiving a letter from the legal representatives of the Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin in 2018 barring him from all church premises
The man pictured here claims the Catholic Church has banned him from visiting his father's grave.
Luke James McConnell says lawyers representing the Primate of Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, wrote warning him to stay away from Church property and personnel.
In a strongly-worded missive, a solicitor acting for the Archbishop and the Armagh Diocese asked McConnell to confirm he will 'refrain from attending at church premises'.
And as a result his father's final resting place at St John's Catholic Church in Middletown, Co. Armagh, is now out of bounds to him and he's forced to peer at it over a cemetery wall.
The 48-year-old father of one, who lives with his partner and 21 year-old invalid son outside Lurgan, returns to his home village to pay his respects at his father's grave, but he says the letter prevents him from entering St John's cemetery.
Luke told the Sunday World: 'I liked spending time at my father's grave. It brought me inner peace.
Luke McConnell cliams he is forbidden by the Archbishop of Armagh from visiting his fathers grave in St Johns Parish Monaghan road Middletown.
'But I'm no longer allowed to stand inside the cemetery. I have to look at my father's grave from behind this wall. It's like something from the Middle Ages.
'It's a long-standing tradition in Ireland that everyone has the right to visit the graves of their loved ones. But that right is being denied me.
'I have it in writing that the Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin, instructed his lawyers to tell me I'm not allowed on church property or to approach any of the Catholic clergy or church staff in the Diocese of Armagh,' he said.
A self-taught pianist who works as a professional musician, Mr McConnell claims his long-running differences with the Church began nearly four decades ago after his father passed away in 1988.
He admits that in the past he had a number of run-ins with members of the priesthood, but Mr McConnell maintains the spats were all verbal and there was nothing physical about them.
Luke McConnell claims he is unable to visit his fathers grave since receiving a letter from the legal representatives of the Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin in 2018 barring him from all church premises
'At one stage it appeared I was being blamed for an assault on a man, but it wasn't true. The PSNI even called to my home to question me, but no further action was taken and the case was dropped,' he said.
He says that after this, the battlefield broadened out onto the pages of Facebook, where insults were traded between him and members of the public on a daily basis.
'I suppose you could say I made the matter public by putting it on Facebook. And as you know people say things on Facebook they'd never say to your face.
'One man even told me I already had 'one foot in the grave' and I took it as a threat to my life. I managed to collate over 500 Facebook posts where I believe I was threatened.
'The police became involved again, but after the matter was investigated, I was the one who ended up being prosecuted under the Communications Act 2000.
'The police raided my home and they took away equipment belonging to me and I never got it back for two years.'
He added: 'When the case came to court, I was found guilty and I received a two-month suspended sentence.'
Mr McConnell is currently in possession of a letter from a top legal firm based in Belfast. In it, a lawyer representing Archbishop Eamon Martin accused Mr McConnell of making a number of unsubstantiated and damaging accusations against an individual.
The letter states that in a previous from Archbishop Martin's office, Mr McConnell was advised, that if he is in possession of evidence of criminal activity of any kind, then he should to refer the matter to the PSNI immediately.
And the letter further states that Luke McConnell 'will not approach any premises connected to the church nor any lay member of staff or priest working in the parishes of the Archdiocese of Armagh'.
In an effort to ascertain the Church's current position on Mr McConnell and his claims of inappropriate behaviour, the Sunday World contacted the solicitor who wrote to him on behalf of the Archbishop.
He explained he no longer represents the Armagh Diocese, but he kindly agreed to pass on our inquiry and contact numbers to the lawyer who does.
At the time of going to print, he hadn't taken up our offer of commenting on the case.
