Musicians unite to say their last goodbyes to ‘magical’ piper O’Flynn
PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins and members of Planxty were among those paying tribute at the funeral of legendary uileann piper Liam O’Flynn yesterday.
Hundreds of mourners attended the musician’s funeral at St Brigid’s Church in his hometown of Kill, Co. Kildare.
Mr O’Flynn, who was regarded as a global ambassador of Irish traditional music, died on Wednesday aged 72 after an 18year battle with cancer.
His former bandmates in Planxty were in attendance yesterday to pay their respects to one of the group’s founders – with Christy Moore and Donal Lunny
‘Long live his music and memory’
singing in memory of the man who was named Musician of the Year at the 2007 TG4 Gradam Ceoil Awards.
Fellow musician and friend Steve Cooney played and read a touching poem titled ‘God’s Choice’ in Mr O’Flynn’s honour.
Former president Mary McAleese wrote a tribute to the piper, which read: ‘Long live his memory and his music. Somewhere today, a child with a gift for music will hear Liam’s pipes soar elegantly, emotionally, above the world’s symphony orchestras and in that childish heart will form a dream.’
Musicians Neil Martin, Christy Moore, Paddy Glackin and Sean Keane were among those carrying Mr O’Flynn’s coffin.
Fiddler Glackin described his friend as ‘a magical person’. ‘I first encountered that magic in 1957. He was very young at the time,’ Mr Glackin said, adding that the deceased adored his family and always yearned to return home to his wife, Jane, after being away.
Mr O’Flynn is survived by Jane, his sister Maureen, nieces and nephews, as well as brothers and sisters in-law. Donations were taken at the funeral for the Irish Cancer Society and Pipers.ie.