Going underclown
Imelda’s dad dressed in a clown suit for open coffin at his wake
SINGER Imelda May has revealed her late father Tony Clabby was waked out in a clown suit before his funeral.
Tony passed away at the age of 91-years-old last Friday. He had been admitted to St James’ Hospital last October.
Tony’s remains left his home in The Liberties in Dublin yesterday morning and arrived at St. Catherine’s Church, Meath Street in a horse and cart adorned with balloons and pictures of clowns.
Imelda said: “Dad loved joy. He said ‘don’t cry, I want you laughing’ so he made us dress him up in a clown suit for the open coffin, which we did and everybody laughed as they came in.
“He just wanted joy and laughter so thank you, as Brendan (her brother) said, for coming.”
Imelda asked the congregation to join them singing Oh Happy Day by Edwin Hawkins “as loud as you can” as they left the church.
“It’s not just us singing, all of us singing,” she said.
During the funeral mass, Imelda also read out two poems, one written by her and the other written by her late father. She also performed a haunting rendition of Amazing Grace.
Symbols including a copy of Ireland’s Own, two pictures of clowns were brought up to the altar by Imelda’s daughter Violet, as well as Tony’s dancing shoes.
A paintbrush was also brought as well as a harmonica, a globe, an image of a cockerel and a Trilby hat along with a photo of “Tony’s treasure of all, his dearly beloved wife Madge”. Parish priest Father Colin Rothery told mourners: “Tony was a multifaceted person as we all are, but he was more than others.”
Imelda’s brother Brendan told the congregation of the last few days with his beloved father before he died and told how he whistled the national anthem through his oxygen mask in hospital.
“He whistled away until the end.
“Even in the middle of it, he was thinking of something else. The last note was done, and he turned around and said, ‘oh by the way did you pay that man for the television we borrowed during the week.”
Mr Clabby’s funeral mass was followed by a burial in Esker Cemetery in Lucan.