Sunset and the evening star
And one clear call for me
And may there be no moaning of the bar
When I put out to sea.
Tennyson'S poem was quoted by Father Sean O Se at the Requiem Mass in St Mary's Church, Schull, yesterday for Mr Bernie Cahill.
The chairman of Aer Lingus was buried afterwards in a private ceremony on Bere Island.
As politicians, business leaders, trade unionists, yachting colleagues, relatives and friends packed the church in the west Cork village of Schull, Father O Se, former parish priest of Bere Island, said life was full of partings. We could go with those departing as far as we were allowed, Father O Se said.
"Eventually we have to let them go. Death is simply the blowing out of the candle because the dawn has arrived.
"Bernie was a great sailor, sailed the world," Father O Se said. "He would naturally know the poem written by Tennyson, the content of which is so appropriate as Bernie gave up his soul to God," he said.
Mr Clayton Love jnr, like Mr Cahill a former admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, spoke of the many facets of Mr Cahill's personality.
There was, he said, Bernie the successful Bere Island man, the private person, travelling companion and seaman.
His accomplishments as a businessman were widely known. "The most admirable quality he had was to pose the difficult question `why' in many guises, always at the right time and place, then get on with decision-making, be logical and stop the posh talk. And all that covered with an ability to delegate to his chosen lieutenants."
Chief mourners included his widow, Kathleen, his son, Daniel, daughters, Margaret and Anne, daughter-in-law, Laura, and grandchildren Richard and Anna.
The President was represented by her ADC, Comdt Dermot O'Connor. The Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, represented the Government, and the Taoiseach was represented by his ADC, Capt Ger O'Grady.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Mr Walsh, attended, as did Mr Jim Mitchell TD and his wife, Patsey, local TDs Mr P.J. Sheehan, Mr Jim O'Keeffe and Mr Simon Coveney, and the former Fine Gael deputy leader, Mr Peter Barry.
Almost the entire board of Aer Lingus attended, including Mr Chris Wall, Mr Des Richardson, Ms Joan Loughnane, Mr Michael Sweeney, Mr Willie Clark and Mr Paddy Wright, who also is chairman of the RTE Authority.
Aer Lingus management, led by the acting chief executive, Mr John O'Donovan, included Mr Mark Mortell, Mr Niall Walsh, Mr Hugh O'Brien, and Ms Mary Purcell of Cork Airport. Mr Cahill's secretary at Aer Lingus, Ms Anne Lawlor, was present. Mrs Jo Loughrey represented her husband, Mr Dan Loughrey, head of public affairs.
The chairman of Aer Rianta, Mr Noel Hanlon, attended, as did Mr John Burke, chief executive. Other airline representatives included Mr Geoffrey White of CityJet and Ms Theresa Jaeger of Finnair.
Among the public and private industry figures were: Mr David Dilger, chief executive of Greencore, of which Mr Cahill had been chairman; Mr Philip Lynch, chief executive, IAWS; Mr Pat Dinneen, chairman of Irish Steel; Mr Larry Goodman; Mr Eugene McCague of Arthur Cox and Son; Mr Taghg Donoghue, chairman of the ESB; Mr Conor Haughey; Mr Brendan Tuohy, secretary-general of the Department of Public Enterprise; Mr Stephen O'Connor, chairman of An Post and Heiton Holdings; Mr Niall McCann of Fyffes; Mr John Loughrey, former secretary-general of the Department of Public Enterprise; Mr David Doyle of the Department of Finance; Mr Michael Conlon, chairman of Bord Gais, Mr Gay O'Driscoll, Mr Michael Holland of Barryroe Co-operative, and Mr Dan McSweeney, the new chief executive of Carbery Milk Products, which Mr Cahill started in the late 1960s.
Trade union representatives included the president of SIPTU, Mr Des Geraghty, and Munster regional secretary, Mr Joe O'Flynn.
Other friends and business associates included Mr Anthony O'Leary, admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, Mr Eddie Nolan, former chairman of Ford Ireland, Mrs Pauline Coveney McCarthy and Ms Geraldine Harney, the RTE business journalist.
Following the concelebrated Requiem Mass, Mr Cahill's body was taken by road to Castletownbere, from where it was carried on the ferry Ikon K to his native Bere Island. His widow, Kathleen, his son Daniel, daughters Margaret and Anne, daughter-in-law, Laura, and grandchildren, Richard and Anna, accompanied the coffin.
A second ferry took as many as 100 relatives and friends to the island for the private burial service, including his brother, Joe, and sisters, Connie and Carmel.