City pays tribute to one of Cork's finest

LEADING FIGURES from the worlds of art, law, sport and politics came together yesterday to pay their final respects to a man who made an immense contribution to the cultural life of Cork city during his lifetime.

Mourners packed the North Cathedral in Cork city for the funeral Mass of the former chairman of the Cork International Film Festival and Arts Council member Charlie Hennessy, who died on Monday after a short illness aged 77. Speaking at the end of the funeral Mass yesterday, the Bishop of Cork and Ross, John Buckley, said Mr Hennessy was a good man whom everybody liked and who had contributed enormously to the cultural life of Cork city.

Chief celebrant Fr Pat O'Donovan from Mr Hennessy's home parish of Monkstown also paid tribute to the huge contribution the man had made to the life of Monkstown, the city beyond, and throughout the country.

In a moving eulogy Mr Hennessy's brother, Ray, remarked that Charlie felt that arts and sport were the heartbeat of humanity. Describing his brother as the quintessential gentleman, he said he seemed driven by some powerful creative battery to extraordinary levels of achievement. He said his brother's inherent talents thrust him to centre stage on occasion and in such circumstances to be normal, modest and kind was in itself no mean achievement.

Ray Hennessy said: "When somebody like this dies, some people shed a tear because he has died. Others smile because he has lived. I prefer to smile."

The music for the funeral Mass was provided by vocalist Carol Ann McKenna, flautist Conor O'Connell and organist Joe Higgins.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen was represented at the funeral by his aide-de-camp, Comdt Michael Treacy, and the lord mayor of Cork was represented by deputy lord mayor, Cllr Jim Corr.

The arts world was well represented. Among those attending were: Cork Film Festival director Mick Hannigan; artistic director of Cork Opera House Gerry Barnes; director of the board of Cork Opera House, Claire Nash; registrar of the National College of Art and Design, Ken Langden; Peter Murphy and Michael Downes from the Crawford Gallery; Pat Talbot and Michael White from the Everyman Theatre; poet Theo Dorgan; artists Bill Griffin and Charlie Quain and sculptor Seán McCarthy.

Mr Hennessy was buried at St Finbarr's Cemetery. He is survived by his wife Abby, brother Ray and sister Frankie.