‘Ronnie was himself and people were drawn to him’

RONNIE DREW never tried to make friends, yet he was always surrounded by friendship, his son Phelim said of the father he shared with a second family of musicians and singers.

“He was himself and people were drawn to him,” Phelim explained of the natural charm that infused the gravel voice and dry humour that were the earthy Dubliner’s trademarks.

Celebrant, Fr Denis Quinn, could bear testament to that, recalling how he met Ronnie for the first time when he came to a Christmas party for senior citizens organised by city centre gardaí. At the Garda station they stood aside as two young female detectives determinedly marched a large uncooperative man up the steps. “Ronnie looked over to me and said: ‘How would you like to be married to one of them? They’d teach you manners.’”