Hundreds mourn 'treasured' McKenna

Mourners at the funeral of Barney McKenna, the last of the original Dubliners, have heard how his memory will be treasured.

Several hundred people, including family, friends and renowned names from the world of music, gathered at St Patrick’s Church, Trim, Co Meath, to pay their respects.

A lone piper led a funeral party through the town centre ahead of the Mass with McKenna’s coffin draped in the green and gold harp flag of Leinster.

Among those paying their respects were his friend President Michael D Higgins, Phil Coulter, Ronnie Drew’s son Phelim, Paddy Reilly and members of the Furey family.

Fr Mark Mohan paid tribute to McKenna’s life and the impact he had on so many people.

“The last few days with Barney’s passing has changed the course of the McKenna life, it has changed also Dublin, Ireland and indeed the music world at large,” he said.

“Barney touched so many and left thousands with happy hearts.”

Fr Mohan said the Dubliner had made an impression on everybody he met.

“Your stories, your words and your memories are to be treasured,” he added.

McKenna was laid to rest in at St Loman’s Cemetery in Trim, the town where his family originally came from.

He had been planning to return to the town last Thursday when he died at home in Howth, north Dublin.

The renowned banjo player was the last remaining member of the original line-up of The Dubliners, celebrated worldwide for their revival of Irish folk songs, their raucous sound and their hell-raising.

A memorial table was laid out during the service with McKenna’s love of music and fishing remembered with a model boat, a flat cap, a photograph, and an accordion, a mandolin and a banjo.

McKenna is survived by his partner Tina, sister Maria Fuller and his brother Sean Og McKenna.

One of McKenna’s last public performances was the day before he died when he played the song 'Ar Eirinn Ni Neosfainn Ce Hi' at the funeral of RTÉ floor manager Dara O Broin in Dublin.

As expected, music made up a large part of the service with reels including Fermoy Lassies and the Boyne Hunt and songs McKenna had made his own such as 'Fiddler’s Green' and 'Someone To Love Me'.

Playing to the very end, he was among the latest line-up of The Dubliners, who recently finished a 12-gig UK leg of their 50th anniversary tour, including dates in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Cardiff.

They also toured Switzerland in February after their two homecoming concerts sold out at Dublin’s Christ Church Cathedral at the end of January.

Other late founding members Ronnie Drew, Ciaran Bourke and Luke Kelly, who have died since the band formed in the snug of O’Donoghue’s pub on Merrion Row, were remembered during emotional scenes at the gigs.

Others from the world of music who attended the funeral included singers Damien Dempsey and Declan O’Rourke and Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams.

Hundreds of mourners also lined the streets outside the church and applauded as though to the beat of music as the coffin was brought out.