Dolan pilgrims pay homage at grave

MEMPHIS has Graceland and Elvis Presley’s body, the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris cradles the tomb of Jim Morrison but the latest shrine to a musical hero lies in the stony grey soil of Mullingar.

Fresh flowers always adorn the grave of Joe Dolan in Walshestown Cemetery and, since the death of the legendary entertainer on St Stephen’s Day, large numbers of people visit his final resting place every day.

The only Irish singer ever to have had Top 10 hits in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, Joe attracted a large following from around the world during his long career. Many still come to pay their respects, among them a lady from Beijing whose favourite Joe song is Tar and Cement. “There’s no show like a joe show,” she tells RTÉ’s Paddy O’Gorman in RTÉ programme, O’Gorman’s Summer, which starts on Sunday week. “I don’t see any singer entertaining his fans the way Joe did,” says the woman who fell in love with Joe’s music when she married an Irishman 10 years ago.