A true son of Clare and proud son of Ireland

AFTER the first volley of shots rang out above the graveside, the momentary silence was broken by the sound of empty shell cases falling back to the ground like a trickle of rain.

The second round then pierced the brilliant spring sunshine enveloping the final resting place of Patrick Hillery before the third and final volley died away to be replaced by the mournful lament of The Last Post echoing through the sycamore trees as Ireland said goodbye to a fondly remembered son.

The firing party from the 2nd Infantry was intended to herald the blessed trinity, however the overtones could also have symbolised Dr Hillery’s trenchant defence of constitutional republicanism as the north slipped into bloody chaos and Fianna Fáil wrestled with its own soul as the turmoil of the arms trial spilled out onto the floor of the 1971 ard fheis. The sloping swathe of green that is St Fintan’s cemetery, Sutton, has an unusual lushness to it as it gently dips from beneath the brow of Howth summit to the glistening waters of Dublin Bay, and amid the majestic pomp of the state occasion unfolding within its sumptuous grounds stood the small, dignified figure of Dr Hillery’s widow Maeve emphasising that above all else this was a moment for family reflection.