Friday, February 3, 1984
Last farewell as Luke Kelly goes home
By Elgy Gillespie
WHITEHALL was the Dublin that Luke Kelly knew first, the place where he went to school and where his mother was from, and yesterday the area from where he was buried. And as well as members of the Dubliners past and present with their music, along with writers and actors and politicians, it was the plain people of Whitehall who poured into the huge local Church of the Holy Child to say goodbye to the best-known Dubliner of all - as many as 3.000.
Though Luke Kelly was a man of strong political convictions and was never a churchgoer, he would have been delighted by the huge turn-out and amused by the strongly dramatic flavour of it all. Six visiting priests took the ceremony, including Father Brian D'Arcy, Phil Coulter's brother, Father Joe Coulter from Derry, Father Tom_ Stack. Father Dan Breen of Drimnagh and Father Donal O'Mahony. OFM Cap of Threshold, with Father Michael Clean to lead them all.
"Luke loved theatricality, he'd have loved all this." said Noel Pearson. fresh off the plane from New York that morning, waving at Barney McKenna. Jim McCann. John Sheehan and Scan Cannon as they tuned their fiddles and guitars in the sacristy.
There were emotional reunions and bearhugs as the demonstrative Northern song-writer Phil Coulter arrived, and there were also the more deadpan Dublin ways of showing grief: a bit of riff on a banjo and a muttered 'Howya" from other group members. Ronnie Drew was distracted with sorrow and did not try to play.
The present Dubliners started up the slow and plaintive notes of 'The Coolin'-as Fathers Stack and Clean began the Mass, and introduced a reading by Luke Kelly's brother. John, and his niece, Noeleen Kelly.
Inside the huge and airy modern church the congregation were genuinely moved by" the group's respectful but ever-present musical recollecting, with 'Raglan Road,' The Town 1 Love So Weir and all Luke Kelly's other, more solemn airs. Luke's brothers Paddy. John. Jimmy, and his sisters, Betty and 'Mona. sat behind the musicians, together with the close companion of his last eight years. Madeleine Seiler.
In the main body of the church sat Luke Kelly's widow. Deirdre O'Connell of the Focus Theatre, surrounded by many friends from the musical and theatrical world.
The Fianna Fail leader. Mr. Haughey. sat near the front, and Tomas MacGiolla. leader of the Workers Party,, was there to pay his respects, along with other politicians like Dr Noel Browne and Senator Michael D. Higgins.
It was a mark of the breadth of Luke Kelly's acquaintance that alongside the Ombudsman. Mr. Michael Mills, were large numbers of television and entertainment people, as well as Mr. Joe Cahill of Sinn Fein. He knew people from everywhere, and the Northern Ireland international goalkeeper. Pat Jennings, was there, and said he liked to think of himself as another friend.
For the congregation of local Whitehall people it was satisfying to hear Father Cleary say that Luke Kelly had faith, and that be knew he had faith because he had spoken to him in hospital two nights before he died. Luke had his faults, but he didn't like sham, said Father Cleary.
By the time the cortege reached the" graveside, hundreds more mourners from the political and artistic and social areas of Luke's life had joined the attendance. The Dubliners' friends and managers and contacts from Germany, from Scandinavia and from Britain had also arrived to pay a final farewell.
In the biting east wind. Father Clean gave a last homily and Father Stack led a last Rosary. The wake was about to begin, and it would go on for a long time. It was going to start in the Coolquay Lodge in Ashbourne, but nobody knew where it might end up.
Last farewell as Luke Kelly goes homeBy Elgy Gillespie
WHITEHALL was the Dublin that Luke Kelly knew first, the place where he went to school and where his mother was from, and yesterday the area from where he was buried. And as well as members of the Dubliners past and present with their music, along with writers and actors and politicians, it was the plain people of Whitehall who poured into the huge local Church of the Holy Child to say goodbye to the best-known Dubliner of all - as many as 3.000.
Though Luke Kelly was a man of strong political convictions and was never a churchgoer, he would have been delighted by the huge turn-out and amused by the strongly dramatic flavour of it all. Six visiting priests took the ceremony, including Father Brian D'Arcy, Phil Coulter's brother, Father Joe Coulter from Derry, Father Tom_ Stack. Father Dan Breen of Drimnagh and Father Donal O'Mahony. OFM Cap of Threshold, with Father Michael Clean to lead them all.
"Luke loved theatricality, he'd have loved all this." said Noel Pearson. fresh off the plane from New York that morning, waving at Barney McKenna. Jim McCann. John Sheehan and Scan Cannon as they tuned their fiddles and guitars in the sacristy.
There were emotional reunions and bearhugs as the demonstrative Northern song-writer Phil Coulter arrived, and there were also the more deadpan Dublin ways of showing grief: a bit of riff on a banjo and a muttered 'Howya" from other group members. Ronnie Drew was distracted with sorrow and did not try to play.
The present Dubliners started up the slow and plaintive notes of 'The Coolin'-as Fathers Stack and Clean began the Mass, and introduced a reading by Luke Kelly's brother. John, and his niece, Noeleen Kelly.
 |
| At the funeral of the singer, Luke Kelly, in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin yesterday were his widow, Deirdre O'Connell (third from right), his close friend 'Madeleine Seller (second from right) his brothers, Paddy and Jimmy, and his aunt, Mrs. Baby Keegan. |
In the main body of the church sat Luke Kelly's widow. Deirdre O'Connell of the Focus Theatre, surrounded by many friends from the musical and theatrical world.
The Fianna Fail leader. Mr. Haughey. sat near the front, and Tomas MacGiolla. leader of the Workers Party,, was there to pay his respects, along with other politicians like Dr Noel Browne and Senator Michael D. Higgins.
It was a mark of the breadth of Luke Kelly's acquaintance that alongside the Ombudsman. Mr. Michael Mills, were large numbers of television and entertainment people, as well as Mr. Joe Cahill of Sinn Fein. He knew people from everywhere, and the Northern Ireland international goalkeeper. Pat Jennings, was there, and said he liked to think of himself as another friend.
For the congregation of local Whitehall people it was satisfying to hear Father Cleary say that Luke Kelly had faith, and that be knew he had faith because he had spoken to him in hospital two nights before he died. Luke had his faults, but he didn't like sham, said Father Cleary.
By the time the cortege reached the" graveside, hundreds more mourners from the political and artistic and social areas of Luke's life had joined the attendance. The Dubliners' friends and managers and contacts from Germany, from Scandinavia and from Britain had also arrived to pay a final farewell.
In the biting east wind. Father Clean gave a last homily and Father Stack led a last Rosary. The wake was about to begin, and it would go on for a long time. It was going to start in the Coolquay Lodge in Ashbourne, but nobody knew where it might end up.
