The President, Mrs McAleese, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, yesterday attended the funeral of Mr Enda O'Rourke, husband of the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, in Athlone.
Hundreds of mourners crowded into Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Glasson, for the requiem Mass presided over by Dr Colm O'Reilly, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.
In his homily, the chief celebrant, Father Patsy McDermott CC, St Mary's, Athlone, spoke of the faith which had sustained Mr O'Rourke during his life.
In a tribute to his father, Mr Feargal O'Rourke thanked those who had attended the removal and funeral. ail but because they were also friends of his father as well.
The chief mourners were his widow, sons Feargal and Aengus, their wives, Muriel and Lisa, and sisters Maureen, Eithne and Gertie.
The attendance included: the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen; the Minister for Tourism and Sport, Dr McDaid; the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy; the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith; the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern; the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, Ms de Valera; and the Minister for Health, Mr Martin.
Also present were the former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds; the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O Donnell; Mr Ned O'Keeffe, Minister of State for Agriculture; and the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Mr Brian Mullooley.
The former Fine Gael leader, Mr Alan Dukes TD, and Mr Emmet Stagg TD and Mr Willie Penrose TD, of the Labour Party, also attended. Other TDs present were Ms Monica Barnes, Mr Sean Doherty, Mr Paul McGrath, and Mr Conor Lenihan and Mr Brian Lenihan, nephews of Ms O'Rourke.
Ms Geraldine Kennedy, Political Editor, represented The Irish Times.