“He was a wonderful raconteur and a fantastic presenter. He was a very unselfish man and he was very happy. His weight was down and he was enjoying spending time with his new grandchild and things were good. And then this happened.”

Peggy Mangan and her dog Casper had one last outing together along the short road and quiet avenue between the church where they were mourned and the cemetery where they were laid to rest.

Actor David Kelly got one final standing ovation as his coffin was carried out of his local parish church at the end of his funeral Mass in Dublin yesterday.

The funeral will take place today of journalist Terry Keane who died at the weekend.