Hundreds mourn at McGahern funeral

Hundreds of mourners have attended the funeral of distinguished Irish author John McGahern.

The award-winning writer, who died from cancer on Thursday at the age of 71, was buried behind St Patrick’s Church in Aughawillan, Co Leitrim.

Famous faces from the arts and literary world, including playwright Brian Friel, poet Seamus Healy and Arts Minister John O’Donoghue, were among those who paid their final respects.

The funeral procession arrived with a garda escort, with more than 150 mourners remaining outside the packed church. No poetry or words were read at the service.

Mrs McGahern’s second wife Madeline Green and relations shed tears as his coffin was lowered in to the ground. A decade of the Rosary was said. Just three wreaths and a simple wooden cross with a plaque bearing his name were placed at the grave.

Before the service, cars had lined the country roads for miles around, with nearby homeowners and schools opening their grounds for parking.

Mr McGahern was born in Dublin in 1934 and raised in counties Leitrim and Roscommon. He trained as a primary school teacher and in 1960 wrote his first novel.

Five years later his second The Dark, which focused on a boy growing up in Ireland, was banned and he was dismissed from his teaching position in Clontarf, Dublin.

The author’s other works include That They May Face The Rising Sun, The Barracks, The Leavetaking, and Amongst Women, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1990 and filmed as a television mini series.

His last published work, his autobiography Memoir, was released last year and in January was awarded the literature prize at the 10th annual South Bank awards.

Poignantly, an hour long documentary entitled John McGahern, A Private World, which explored his life and work, this week won Best Arts Documentary at the Celtic Film & Television Festival, in Falmouth, Cornwall.