Taoisigh, ministers and presidents pay respects

FIVE former taoisigh were among the mourners who attended Garret FitzGerald’s funeral — three Fianna Fáil office-holders, Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern and Albert Reynolds, along with John Bruton and Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael.

President Mary McAleese and her husband Dr Martin McAleese; former president Mary Robinson and her husband Nick Robinson, were also in attendance.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, accompanied by his wife Fionnuala, led the Government members who included party colleagues Finance Minister Michael Noonan, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney, Health Minister James Reilly, Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald and Justice Minister Alan Shatter.

Labour’s Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte and Leas- Cheann Comhairle Brendan Howlin were also there, as was Alex White TD.

Numerous Fine Gael TDs attended, including Bernard Durkan, John Paul Phelan, Paschal Donohoe and Joe McHugh, accompanied by his wife, former TD Olwyn Enright.

Representing Fianna Fáil were numerous former and serving TDs including party leader Micheál Martin, former minister Mary Hanafin; MEP Liam Aylward, Noel Dempsey, Donie Cassidy and Dermot Ahern. Eamon Ryan, former Green Party minister, also attended.

The North’s deputy first minister Martin McGuinness and former SDLP leaders John Hume and Mark Durkan were there, as were poet Seamus Heaney and his wife Marie, British ambassador to Ireland Julian King and senator and presidential hopeful David Norris.

Among the clergy were Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin and his Church of Ireland counterpart Michael Jackson, along with Fr Sean Healy of the Conference of Religious of Ireland.

A large number of the judiciary also attended, including Supreme Court judges John Murray and his wife Gabrielle; former chief justice Thomas Finlay; Mr Justice Ronan Keane, also a former chief justice; Justices Susan Denham, William McKechnie, Nicholas Kearns and wife Eleanor; Adrian Hardiman and wife, Judge Yvonne Murphy.