A RARE photo of an IRA firing party at the funeral of volunteer Murtagh McAstocker has resurfaced, 104 years later.
Originally from the Pound Loney on the Falls Road, Murtagh McAstocker later lived in the Ballymacarret area of East Belfast, now known as Short Strand.
The 21-year-old had been a member of 'B' Company Second Battalion, shortly after it had been formed in Ballymacarret in 1920 and played a key role in defending the area against Orange pogroms in the area.
After investigating a family quarrel Murtagh was shot at the corner of Clonallon Street by loyalists, off the Newtownards Road. The bullet passed right through his body and lodged in a coin in the breast pocket of his coat.
He was rushed to hospital but died en route.
On Tuesday, September 27, 1921, his funeral left his home in Moira Street in Ballymacarret for Milltown Cemetery. It was one of the largest funerals to come out of the district during those troubled years.
In Milltown, buglers sounded the Last Post and three volleys were fired over the coffin, captured in the recently auctioned photo.
Steven Corr and Joe Austin at the grave of Murtagh McAstocker
Cemetery tour guide Steven Corr explained: "I got this photo sent to me by a number of people recently. It has been causing a bit of a stir on social media.
"I did some research and saw that it recently sold at Bloomfield Auctions in East Belfast in March 2022 along with the coin that the bullet dislodged in.
"I believe the photo was first used in the Belfast National Graves book, published in the 1980s.
"It really is a remarkable photo of history and the fact it appeared at an auction in recent years shows the level of interest still."
