Role of Michael Yeats in the 'new Ireland' praised

The funeral service for former Fianna Fáil MEP and cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Michael Yeats, was told yesterday he "played his own significant part in the creation of the new Ireland".

Mr Yeats (85), who was a son of the poet WB Yeats, died on January 3rd at St Michael's Hospital, Dún Laoghaire.

As his Tricolour-draped coffin lay before the altar of St Patrick's Church, Dalkey, Co Dublin, senior counsel Gerry Danaher noted "that he should have had a nationalist outlook tells us little. That, coming from the background he did, he became at 14 what he himself described as a committed de Valera republican tells us a lot."

Continuing his eulogy, Mr Danaher, chairman of the National Library, observed that "Michael's life spanned the entire existence of the independent Irish State".

When he was born in 1921, "Ireland was groping towards sovereignty and lurching into civil war . . . The country was poor and its prospects poorer."

Today "perhaps the greatest threat to our undoubted prosperity is our short memory of our former poverty".

He had served Fianna Fáil "in tough times when politics was a tough business. But it was in promoting our participation in Europe that Michael made his greatest political mark."

He was "passionately committed to Europe", the first Irish MEP to address the European Parliament and the first Irish person to become its vice-president. It was also due primarily to his generosity that "the National Library has by far and away the foremost literary collection relating to William Butler Yeats".

Chief mourners were Michael Yeats's wife Gráinne, and their children Caitríona, Siobhán, Síle and Pádraig. The service was led by Canon Ben Neill, with readings by Cian Ó Heigeartaigh, Alison Schultz and Peter Finnegan. Áine Ní Dhubhghaill was the harpist.

President Mary McAleese was represented by Capt Mick Treacy ADC, and the Taoiseach by Comdt Michael Murray ADC. Also present were the Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, Minister for Children Brian Lenihan, Fianna Fáil Senators Martin Mansergh and Rory Kiely, Fianna Fáil MEP Eoin Ryan, former European commissioner Michael O'Kennedy, the Mayor of Sligo Tom MacSharry, former Dublin Fianna Fáil TD Seán Sherwin, and former cathaoirleach of the Seanad Charlie McDonald.

In addition, his funeral was attended by former High Court judge Hugh O'Flaherty, former District Court judge Gerald Buchanan, poet Seamus Heaney and his wife Marie, historian Roy Foster, Prof Declan Kiberd, Prof John Horgan, author Christopher FitzSimon and actor Bosco Hogan. The Yeats Society was represented by Aleck Crichton, John O'Connor and Stella Mew. Present from RTÉ were Cathal MacCoille, Rodney Rice, Anne Doyle, Rachel English, Cathal Portéir, Kevin Reynolds, Marian Richardson, Geraldine Collins, and Kate Shanahan.