THE LATE Con Houlihan had “an extraordinary pride of place” and had left clear instructions that his funeral was to be in Dublin, but his burial was to be in his native Castleisland, the requiem Mass for the 86-year-old writer who died last month was told yesterday.
The legendary journalist and writer had a huge love of Kerry; he was “self-deprecating” and had a wonderful way with people, his niece Patricia told the packed Church of St Stephen and St John.
The previous night she and her sister Ann had brought their uncle’s ashes to Castleisland and drove around the Latin quarter, the rugby field and other favourite haunts. It was a beautiful evening and one that Con would have enjoyed, she said.
That circuit was reprised after the Mass yesterday.
Castleisland stood still as the large hearse carrying the small casket of ashes veered left instead of right towards the cemetery to stop outside public houses, as well as the bronze statue unveiled in his presence eight years ago in the Latin quarter.
His ashes were buried with his father Michael and mother Ellen at Kilbannivane Cemetery.
In his homily, chief celebrant and parish priest of Castleisland Msgr Dan O’Riordan told how Con Houlihan’s extraordinary pride of place was “no add-on”, but was an integral part of him.
He recalled how the late writer held a master’s degree and had studied in UCC under Daniel Corkery, author of The Hidden Ireland (an account of how in 18th-century Munster, the native Irish labouring in the humble fields and cottages of Cork and Kerry knew their Euclid, their poetry and their Latin).
“Like Corkery, Con in his writing revealed ‘a hidden Ireland’ – the life of ordinary working people,” Msgr O’Riordan said.
Gifts brought to the altar before the Mass included a sod of turf, a Castleisland rugby jersey, chalk to represent his love of teaching, angler’s flies, representing his love of fishing, and one of his books.
His partner Harriet Duffin read one of the prayers of the faithful. His friend, writer Frank Grealy, read extracts from Houlihan’s book Windfalls and from Thomas Wolfe, an American writer.
The mourners included former Labour Party leader and tánaiste Dick Spring and his brother Dr Arthur Spring (Houlihan’s father Michael was a founding member of the Labour Party in Kerry); local TD Tom Fleming; former mayor of Kerry Bobby O’Connell, and Seán Kelly MEP.
Also present were former rugby international Mick Galwey and members of the family of the late Moss Keane, former Kerry footballers John O’Keeffe, Ogie Moran, Mick Gleeson and Mick Finucane, along with former Ireland soccer manager Eoin Hand.
Among the journalists present were Tony Leen, sports editor of the Irish Examiner; Des O’Sullivan, Feidhlim Kelly and columnist Billy Keane, along with playwright Tony Guerin.