Martin McGuinness threatened to hold a dead IRA man's body for a week amid tensions over paramilitary shows of strength at funerals, State papers have revealed.
His funeral was delayed for three days and there were two failed attempts to bury him as a heavily armed police cordon stepped in each time. Documents released from the Department of Foreign Affairs reveal Mr McGuinness issued the warning to the bishop's emissary, Fr Hugh Starkey.
He said the Sinn Féin chief told Cahal Daly's secretary: "We have the body and will keep it for a week, if necessary, until the Bishop speaks."
The papers claimed Mr McGuinness was smarting over comments made by Bishop of Derry Edward Daly about restricting IRA funerals.