The funeral Mass for Ireland’s former finance minister Brian Lenihan has taken place in Dublin, the gathering uniting representatives from across the political divide in the South, as well as from north of the border.
The service was held at St. Mochta’s Church in Porterstown, West Dublin Tuesday.
Family members were joined by President Mary McAleese, Taoiseach Enda Kenny and former cabinet colleagues, as well as former taoisigh Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, former tánaiste Mary Harney, and former Green Party leader and cabinet colleague, John Gormley.
Over 1,000 mourners in total, including several hundred members of the public waiting outside, gathered to pay their respects to the former deputy leader of Fianna Fail, who passed away last Friday aged 52 from pancreatic cancer, which he had been first diagnosed with in December, 2009.
Friends, colleagues and constituents applauded as the former minister’s family arrived for the service at the small church, which is in the heart of the Dublin West constituency where Mr. Lenihan first won a Dáil seat in 1996 and which he retained in every subsequent election.
The service was led by St. Mochta’s parish priest, Fr. Eugene Kennedy, who told mourners that Mr. Lenihan had suffered a cruel irony, after supporting the development of St. Francis Hospice’s new facility in Blanchardstown, only to end up being cared for by staff there.
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