Thomas Kent’s remains return to Cork for State funeral

The remains of Thomas Kent will be brought to St Michael's Garrison Church in Collins Barracks at 3.45pm today.

About 80 members of the Kent family - including Kent's nieces, Eily and Kathleen Kent and Prudence Riordan – are expected to attend a rosary at the church at 6pm.

Members of Cork City Council, including Lord Mayor Cllr Chris O'Leary, will also attend the rosary, as will Mayor of Cork County, Cllr John Paul O'Shea.

The public can pay their respects between 6pm and 9pm.

There will be a brief road closure on Old Youghal Road at 11am tomorrow when Kent’s remains are brought by Army pallbearers with a motorcycle escort from the 2nd Calvary Squadron as it makes the short journey from Collins Barracks to nearby Cork Prison.

Gardaí will operate rolling road closures as the cortege makes its way along Ballyhooly Road to Dillons Cross, St Luke's and down Summerhill North before turning on to the Lower Glanmire Road and passing by Kent Railway Station, named in honour of the 1916 hero.

Funeral cortege

The funeral cortege will then proceed to Dunkettle and join the N8 to Fermoy where it will exit at the Corrin Interchange to make the short journey to Castlelyons village, passing the Kent family home at Bawnard before arriving at St Nicholas's Church in Castlelyons at 1.35pm.

There will be a concelebrated Requiem Mass by Bishop of Cloyne William Crean which will be attended by President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Enda Kenny and other dignitaries.

Kent’s remains will be carried from the church at 3pm for interment in the Kent family vault in the church grounds, where Mr Kenny will deliver a graveside oration.

The Main Street in Castlelyons and the area around St Nicholas’s Church, as well as the road leading to Bawnard, will be closed from 1.15pm to 2pm.