|
Fans bid farewell to musical legends  Thousands
of people from across Ireland and Britain have attended the funerals of
two of Ireland’s best loved singers to bid them a heart-felt farewell.
More than 1,000 people filled St. John’s Church in Tralee, Co. Kerry
for a touching service for singer Christie Hennessy, who was described
by those who knew him as gentle and child-like and someone who never forgot
where he came from.
Christie left school in Tralee at the age of 11 and worked on building
sites in London before becoming a star.
He went on to compose a host of famous songs including Messenger Boy and
Don’t Forget Your Shovel.
He died in London on December 11 aged 62.
At the start of the Mass family members brought his ashes to the altar
to the background music of A Long And Winding Road.
And many admirers who were unable to get into the church stood in the
rain outside.
Three symbols of his life were placed on the altar — a guitar, a
miniature messenger boy’s bicycle presented to him by the people
of Tralee several years ago and a statue of Our Lady to reflect his spirituality.
In a homily parish priest Monsignor Dan O’Riordan said Christie
took a vow as a young man not to drink or smoke and lived by that.
He said: “In doing that he gave a powerful example in relation to
our drink and drugs culture and showed that life could be lived to the
full without recourse to drugs.”
Monsignor O’Riordan welcomed people from many parts of Ireland and
beyond to the service thanking God for Christie and his gift of music.
He said: “You Christie are no stranger to this place. You are among
your own. Welcome home.”
Monsignor O’Riordan said Christie never sought the cult of celebrity
and material things meant little to him but he enjoyed being appreciated
on a human level.
“Christie was a messenger boy in more ways than one,” he said.
RTÉ’s Aonghus McAnally said he was a remarkable human being
and the writer of some of the most delicately-crafted and lyrically exquisite
songs of our generation.
Tributes were also paid by Richard Moore of the Children In Crossfire
Charity of which Christie was a patron.
Chief mourners were his wife Jill, daughters Hermione and Amber, son Timothy
and members of the Ross family.
And in Co. Westmeath, more than 2,000 mourners paid their respects to
showband legend Joe Dolan when he was laid to rest in his native town
of Mullingar.
Hundreds of dedicated fans and members of the singer’s local community
stood side by side outside the Cathedral of Christ the King for the requiem
Mass.
Singers Dana, Daniel O’Donnell, Ronny Drew, Dickie Rock, Red Hurley,
Ronan Keating and his wife Yvonne and musician Paddy Cole were part of
the congregation.
Comedians Brendan Grace and Frank Carson attended, alongside former snooker
player Denis Taylor and ex-Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, who hired the young
Dolan and his band, The Drifters, when he ran ballrooms in the Midlands
in the late 1950s and 1960s.
President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern were represented by
their aides-de-camp.
Broadcaster and friend Fr Brian Darcy paid tribute to the 68-year-old
who died on St. Stephen’s Day after falling ill on Christmas night.
In a homily he told mourners how the performer secretly gave tens of thousands
of euro to the poor during his career.
He said: “For Joe the most loyal group that he had were his fans
for 45, maybe 47 years.
“And Joe loved those fans and knew them personally and entertained
them when they needed to be entertained, lifted their burden when that
was needed and they loved and appreciated Joe.
“They enjoyed him and they gave him his privacy when he needed it.”
As Mr Dolan’s body was removed from the cathedral for the journey
to Walshestown Cemetery, fans — wearing the singer’s trademark
white tie and holding scarves bearing his picture — formed a guard
of honour. |
