There was a very large attendance at the funeral Mass yesterday of the leading Dublin auctioneer, Mr Fintan Gunne. Senior figures from the political, business and financial worlds attended the concelebrated Mass at the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Merrion Road, Dublin. The chief mourners were Mr Gunne's wife Maureen, children Lorraine, Pat, Niall, Andrew, Audrey and Dervla, his mother Bernie, his brother Philip and sisters Dara, Bernadette, Rosemarie and Alva. Mr Gunne, who was 50, died after a short illness.
Among the attendance were the former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds, and former government minister Dr Rory O'Hanlon. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, had attended the removal on Tuesday evening.
Mr Larry Goodman, Mr Phil Monaghan and Mr Martin Naughton were among the senior business figures who attended the Mass. Mr Neil McCann of Fyffes and Mr Harry Dobson, promoter of the £230 million National Distribution Centre in Clondalkin, west Dublin, were also in attendance.
The Irish Times was represented by the chief executive and group managing director, Mr Louis C. O'Neill, and by property editor Mr Jack Fagan.
The church was full for the service, which was one of the largest funeral masses held in south Dublin in recent years. The funeral took place afterwards at Mount Venus Cemetery.
Mr Gunne controlled one of the largest estate agencies in the State, with 11 branches and a staff of 160. He also operated three livestock sales marts.
Mr Gunne, originally from Dundalk, started as a cattle salesman in his father's livestock mart in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, after leaving school at the age of 17. He took over the business when his father, Patrick, died at the age of 52. Two of Mr Gunne's children, Pat and Lorraine, are involved in the family business.