Funeral Mass and party rolled in to one

It was a grey day and a howling wind was blowing in from the broad majestic Shannon. Dull and drizzling, but what a colourful funeral?

Philly Ryan's hearse arrived at the bottom of Kenyon Street shortly before 3pm, its presence highlighted by a team of garda motorcyclists flashing blue lights as they led the cortège into the centre of the town.

As the hearse approached, shop owners, some of whom had placed photos of Shane MacGowan in their front windows, turned off lights and pull down shutters as a mark of respect to the poet and singer.

Rounds of applause broke out and grew louder as the wicker coffin, draped in the tricolour, passed the bulge of the crowd at the Market Cross and entered Pearse Street.

Nenagh's Christmas lights, already twinkling in the gloomy afternoon, added a fairytale feel. Then the funeral bells began ringing out at Saint Mary of the Rosary Church.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

It was not the huge welcome many had anticipated. The inclemency drove people indoors and the church, with its capacity for around 1,000 souls, was - but for the 300 reserved seats for the main mourners - packed two hours before the formalities kicked off at 3.30pm.

Restaurants and pubs were chock full from early morning as crowds of sympathesisers descended on the town to bid a final goodbye to the man that Fr Pat Gilbert, the main celebrant at the Mass, described as “a poet, lyricist, singer and trailblazer”.

A standout feature - and something you would never see ordinarily in Nenagh - was the male fashions in hats. There were lads in fedoras, trilbys, panamas and pork pies. All were obviously dyed-in-the wool MacGowan fans, the late and great singer himself had a penchant for all kinds of headgear.

An exodus from the eateries and watering holes was evident by lunchtime as mourners made their way to the church, well early in their determination to secure a seat, or to even just get inside the crammed building.

It was a tough day for bums in the unforgiving timber pews. But the cheek pain endured over a ceremony that ran for almost three hours was greatly offset by the marvellous entertainment.

EXTRAORDINARY FUNERAL

This was no ordinary funeral Mass. It was a religious ceremony and free-to-enter concert featuring national and international stars all rolled into one.

It was an occasion for ordinary people to mingle with the stars of screen and music. A time to pay communal homage to a singer whose people came from just out the road in Carney Commons. A man who in death put Nenagh at the centre of the world for a single day.

The highlights included interpretations of the songs much loved and made famous by Shane. Nick Cave made people cry with his soulful and emotionally charged version of ‘Rainy Night in Soho’. Some of the main mourners got out of their seats and waltzed in the aisles as Glen Hansard and Lisa O’ Neill raised the roof with a rousing version of Fairytale of New York.

But the man who really made the occasion his own was our Parish Priest Fr Pat Gilbert, who played a starring role  in a cast of elite players.

The star gazers flocked  to see Hollywood actor Johnny Depp and the President Michael D Higgins, and even Gerry Adams was there to pay tribute. Everyone delighted in the singing of Imelda May, Declan O’ Rourke, Mundy, Camille O’ Sullivan, The Pogues and Peadar O Riada and his Cór Cúil Aodha.

Yet Fr Pat’s own performance as the chief celebrant was a standout. He delivered a throughly prepared homily that was by times sad and cheerful, humourous and hopeful.

The congregation loved him, and showed their appreciation by breaking in to punctuate his homily with cheers and  laughter and sustained rounds of applause.

One social media commentator later epitomised the general view on how the Parish Priest had summed up Shane’s life, warts and all. “I think he did stunning justice to the man”, declared the tweeter.

DARKNESS FALLS

Darkness had long fallen on the town by the time the Mass - a kind of cross between a solemn religious ceremony and a joyous going-away party - had ended.

Hundreds waited outside in the church grounds for one final round of applause. The clapping was sustained all the way through a long line of mourners as the hearse made its way down Church Road and in to Pearse Street.

On reaching the Market Cross right in the centre of the town he loved so well, Shane MacGowan made his final bow out.