THE LATE Declan Costello was a man of intellectual brilliance and deep compassion who put his gifts at the service of the country, mourners at his removal were told last night.
In a homily at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook, Dublin, Fr Martin Clarke said Mr Costello, who died last Monday aged 84, was a “very special person”.
The last 18 months in the life of the former TD, attorney general and president of the High Court had been “extremely difficult” for himself and his family as he struggled with his final illness.
“Now that his suffering has ended, the family can begin to recall happier times when Declan was in the full of his health,” Fr Clarke said.
“As the family mourns the loss of someone so special, so, too, the country feels deeply the loss of a person who has made an enduring contribution to Irish life.”
Mr Costello was “intellectually brilliant, passionate in his commitment to social justice, impeccable in his integrity, visionary in his outlook, impatient with the status quo [and] deeply compassionate towards those in need”.
He was also courteous and self-effacing and, “like so many of his generation, put his gifts at the service of our country without seeking personal gain”, Fr Clarke added.
Mourners were led by Joan Costello, her children John, Joan, Caroline and David, and the extended Costello family.
President Mary McAleese and Senator Martin McAleese, the Taoiseach’s aide-de-camp Commdt Michael Treacy, Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil Seán Barrett, Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Senator Paddy Burke, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Attorney General Máire Whelan offered their sympathies.
Also in attendance were former taoisigh Liam Cosgrave and John Bruton, his wife Finola Bruton, former European commissioner David Byrne, former attorney general Paul Gallagher, former health minister Barry Desmond, former education minister Dick Burke and former ceann comhairle Séamus Pattison.
Members of the judiciary who were present included Supreme Court judges Adrian Hardiman, Nial Fennelly and Fidelma Macken; president of the High Court Nicholas Kearns and High Court judges George Birmingham, Kevin Feeney, Mary Finlay Geoghegan, Garret Sheehan, Roderick Murphy, Peter Kelly and Henry Abbott; Circuit Court judges Alison Lindsay and Yvonne Murphy, and District Court judge Patricia McNamara.
Former chief justices Thomas Finlay and Ronan Keane, former supreme court judge Hugh Geoghegan, former president of the Law Reform Commission Catherine McGuinness and former Circuit Court judges Harvey Kenny and Frank O’Donnell also attended.
Others present included former UCD president Dr Art Cosgrove, Kevin Cross SC, Paul O’Higgins SC, Mary Cosgrave, Mark FitzGerald, RTÉ director of news Ed Mulhall, former minister of state for children Barry Andrews, broadcaster Vincent Browne, Brendan Halligan and Tony Brown.
Politicians in attendance included Fine Gael TD Pat Breen and former Fine Gael TDs Tom Enright, John Farrelly and Alexis Fitzgerald.
Clergy there included Bishop James Moriarty, Father Dermod McCarthy, Fr Tony Gaughan, Fr Paul Andrews SJ, Msgr Richard Sherry, Fr Conor Harper, Fr Tom Stack and Fr Joe Brennan SJ.
The funeral Mass takes place this morning at 10am with burial afterwards at Deansgrange cemetery.