| | Dear reader A year on from the beginning of lockdown and we have been reflecting today on some of the personal stories of heartbreak during the last 12 months.
A relative of one of the oldest Orangemen in Northern Ireland has recalled how difficult it was to say goodbye to him with such a small, restricted funeral.
Robbie Alexander, who lived in the far west of Co Tyrone, died late last May at the height of the first wave of the pandemic. He had been an Orangeman for 77 years, but because of the restrictions, just a small number of mourners were permitted. His family understood the need for the restrictions, but that did not make it any easier.
The pandemic also caused personal heartache for the Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who lost his father Jim, and again his family were unable to give Mr Donaldson a traditional funeral.
Sir Jeffrey admitted it had been a “real challenge” for the Donaldson family to say goodbye to his father with just 10 people permitted to attend.
Wednesday brought some positive news in the ongoing battle with Covid-19. No deaths relating to the virus were recorded over the previous 24 hours in Northern Ireland. There were 139 new cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in the same period.
Alistair Bushe
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