Christy O’Connor Jnr’s funeral: ‘Rest in peace my friend’

There were readings from the prophet Isaiah, the Book of Revelation, and the Gospel according to St Luke.

But the funeral missal also made room for a piece of secular verse, John's Betjeman's poem, Seaside Golf. The contrast was not as striking as you might think.

Like the Bible, golf encourages a devotion to the straight and narrow path. And in this respect, a few details aside, Betjeman’s poem is an uncanny description of the late Christy O’Connor Jnr’s most famous (and saintliest) shot:

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Buinessman Denis O’Brien arrives for the funeral of Christy O’Connor Jnr at Galway Cathedral. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA

“How straight it flew, how long it flew,

It cleared the rutty track,

And soaring, disappeared from view,

Beyond the bunker’s back,

A glorious, sailing, bounding drive,

That made me glad I was alive.”

O’Connor’s moment of glory was at the landlocked Belfry, not the seaside, and it cleared a lake rather than a rutty track.

Just like Betjeman’s, however, his ball finished “two paces from the pin”.

So doing, it helped retain the Ryder Cup in 1989 – ensuring, 27 years later, that the many golfing celebrities at his funeral included the trophy itself, placed on the coffin by Europe’s 2014 captain, Paul McGinley, to warm applause.

But as chief celebrant Fr Michael Kelly reminded the congregation, they were also “here to pray”.

And while recalling O’Connor’s golfing greatness, the priest told mourners he had been a man of “strong faith” too.

This had helped him through a time of crisis, after his son Darren died in a road crash in 1998. He had afterwards prayed both “to and for” Darren, “and was convinced that came to his assistance more than once”.

O’Connor had also spoken “openly and confidently of his conviction” that the two would meet again, albeit, as the priest added, “not quite so soon, I imagine”.

Fr Kelly's co-celebrants included the Bishop of Galway, Most Rev Martin Drennan.

In a personal tribute, O’Connor’s fellow Ryder Cup hero Eamon Darcy spoke movingly about their friendship of four decades. But his memories also raised laughs, especially when he claimed that O’Connor’s charity work had seen him auction the celebrated Belfry two-iron “at least 40 times”.

Another speaker, John Mulholland, suggested O’Connor had religious dispensation for the club’s repeat appearances in fundraisers, thanks to a “Poor Clare Sister” who had been one of the beneficiaries. In any case, he added that the golfer had done heroic work for many good causes – as recently as last July hosting an event that raised €200,000 for the Galway hospice.

Chief mourners

President Michael D Higgins was among those who joined the chief mourners – O’Connor’s widow Ann, his daughter, also Ann, and his surviving son Nigel – at the funeral.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, who had attended Monday night’s removal, was represented by Comdt Kieran Carey. Other politicians present were former taoiseach Brian Cowen and current Fine Gael TD John O’Mahony.

The congregation of well over 1,000 included many well-known golfing figures, among them Sam Torrance, Shane Lowry, John O’Leary, Paul Lawrie, Des Smyth and managing director of the Ryder Cup Richard Hills.

Businessman Denis O’Brien – who was thanked by the family for his help in flying O’Connor’s remains home from Tenerife – and former Ireland rugby international Keith Wood were also present.

There was a stellar line-up in the choir gallery too, where local fiddle player Frankie Gavin was accompanied by singer Seán Keane and others in performing religious and traditional airs.

Although he had caused laughter with his reminiscences, Eamon Darcy finished his tribute fighting back tears as he said: “We’ve played our last game together – rest in peace, my friend.”

O’Connor’s daughter Ann was similarly emotional as she paid tribute to “a wonderful husband, an adored papa, and a lifelong friend to all who needed him”.

But amid the sadness at his too early death, the emphasis of the funeral service was on celebrating O’Connor’s life.

Thus the back page of the missal featured a photograph of the triumphant moment in 1989, when the golfer was at his most alive, raising his eyes and arms to the heavens.