Tralee bids a tearful farewell to its ‘gentle’ hero

MUCH-LOVED Christie Hennessy never drank alcohol and was yesterday held out as an example to all facing the challenges of a drugs culture.

In a homily at a special Mass for the late singer/songwriter in his native Tralee, Monsignor Dan O’Riordan, parish priest, said he took a vow as a young man not to drink, or smoke, and lived by that.

“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,” the monsignor said.

More than 1,000 people filled St John’s Church to overflowing for a touching service and tributes to a man who was described by fellow townsfolk as “gentle and childlike” and who never forgot where he came from.

Though illiterate, Christie composed a host of famous songs including Messenger Boy and Don’t Forget Your Shovel. He died in London, on December 11, aged 62.

He left school in Tralee at the age of 11 and worked on building sites in London before becoming a star. Yesterday, he came home for the last time and Tralee people bid him a heart-felt farewell.

At the start of the Mass family members brought his ashes to the altar to the background music A Long and Winding Road, while admirers unable to get into the church stood in the rain outside.

Three symbols of his life were placed in a prominent positions — 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.

Prayers were also recited for another famous singer, Joe Dolan, who died on Wednesday.

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 recalled how Christie had been baptised in the same church in 1945, later receiving his First Holy Communion and Confirmation there.

“You [Christie] are no stranger to this place. You are among your own. Welcome home,” he went on.

The singer, he said, would have been very happy but embarrassed by all the attention he was receiving. His songs delivered simple, warm messages of joy and love from the heart.

“Christie was a messenger boy in more ways than one,” he said.

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 the youngest in a family of nine and his father died when he was very young.

The family’s means were modest and he worked as a messenger boy but, Monsignor O’Riordan said, he was never bitter about his early circumstances.

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 patron.

The singer was born Christie Ross at Casement’s Avenue, Tralee, but adopted the stage name Hennessy. Whenever he came back to Tralee, he liked nothing better than meeting his old neighbours, or visiting the sick in hospital.

Chief mourners were his wife Jill, daughters Hermione and Amber, son Timothy, and members of the Ross family.

Soloist was Tralee-born soprano Miriam Murphy, accompanied by Aidan O’Carroll.

The St John’s choir was directed by Mons Pat Ahern.

Hermione Hennessy sang Amazing Grace to spontaneous applause, while I’ll Walk Beside You was sung by Luka Bloom at the end of the ceremony.

A lone piper, Denis O’Reilly, led the cortege to Rath Cemetery as Tralee folk stood silently on the streets, fondly remembering a man whose songs touched their lives in a special way.