Mourners bid farewell to former mayor Joe Doyle

MOURNERS AT the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook bid farewell to former lord mayor of Dublin Joe Doyle.

Led by parish priest Fr Patrick Carroll and six other priests with connections to Mr Doyle, mourners celebrated the life of a man who had played an important role in both church and State.

His wife Peggy and children, David, Michael and Róisín, were joined by his sisters Maeve and Rita, grandchildren Siobhán and Aisling, nieces, nephews and friends.

Among mourners were leader and deputy leader of Fine Gael, Enda Kenny and Richard Bruton, leader of the Green Party John Gormley, former Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell and ex-taoisigh Albert Reynolds and Liam Cosgrave. Comdt Michael Treacy represented Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Emer Costello was present, as was former lord mayor Catherine Byrne, deputy Dublin city manager Philip Maguire and many politicians from across the political spectrum.

The civic sword and mace, insignia of the Lord Mayor’s office, were borne by members of Dublin Fire Brigade and Mr Doyle’s coffin was draped in the flag of Dublin.

Fr Carroll told mourners that Mr Doyle had been baptised in the Sacred Heart church, had been married there and lived all his life in the parish of Donnybrook. He also served as sacristan in the church for 29 years, only relinquishing the job when he became a TD in 1982.

He was a member of the Dublin Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes for over 50 years, for which he was awarded a medal by the diocese. It, along with a wedding photo, a photo of him golfing and the keys of the Church of the Sacred Heart were placed on his coffin.

Fr Carroll said Mr Doyle was a very special member of the community. He had no enemies, he said, and had earned the respect and friendship of colleagues from all parties in his political life.

Underpinning all aspects of his life was a sense of humour and ability to relate to people. “He had humour, he had taste, he had appreciation and the skill of putting others at . . . ease,” he said.

In a moving tribute, David Doyle told mourners his father was “an extraordinary man of deep faith and conviction” who radiated warmth. He had poured his faith out through his actions.

He had “a wonderful devotion” to Lourdes and proposed to his wife there. The pinnacle of his political life was when he became lord mayor of Dublin in 1998.

“Dad, a Dublin man, a Donnybrook man, a church man, a Lourdes man, a Fine Gael man, a true Christian gentleman, my best friend, my father,” his son said.