Late journalist turned Dublin `into a village'

The late Jonathan Philbin Bowman's talent for friendship turned Dublin "into a village," his father, the broadcaster and historian Dr John Bowman, told mourners at his funeral yesterday.

He said his son had a particular talent for friendship with women. "I can honestly say I've never been embraced by so many beautiful women as in the last few days, all friends of Jonathan," he said. He had also "never met anyone so unaware of age" as his eldest son. "When he was seven, he loved the company of adults. When he was 10, he was happy in the company of four-year-olds. At 14 he was partly an adult. At 31 he was still partly a child."

Mourners packed the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook for the liturgical service, which spanned poetry from the Psalms to Noel Coward, and moved from the music of Elgar to the theme song from Monty Python's The Life of Brian.

Dr Bowman said he and his son had agreed that funerals should be "more fun". He never thought it would fall to him to organise Jonathan's funeral, but he had tried to be true to what his son would want; from the plain, unvarnished coffin to the Quaker-style tributes of friends which would be heard later at Glasnevin Crematorium.

Prof Enda McDonagh quoted John Donne "teasing" death with the question: "Where is thy sting?" But "in the sudden and savage death of a much-loved son, brother, father, friend, the sting is palpable". He added: "In this church when Jonathan was baptised, a blithe human spirit was formally joined to the blithe and sublime spirit of God, and they led each other a merry dance for some 31 years. Our Christian hope must be that the dance continues."

Ms Emma Philbin Bowman, Jonathan's sister, told mourners she had been born 11 months after him "and he was the most horrendous act to follow". Mr Abie Bowman spoke of the "extraordinary intensity" of his brother's life: "He lived more in his 31 years than most people do in 80," he said. The service also included a tribute from Ms CaraIosa Egan, mother of the deceased's 11-year-old son, Saul.

The President was represented at the funeral by Capt Pauline O'Connell, and the Taoiseach by Capt Duncan Nugent. The many politicians who attended included the Minister for Health, Mr Martin; the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern; the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith; and the former minister for foreign affairs, Mr Andrews.

Independent News and Media was represented by its chief executive, Mr Liam Healy; and the Sunday Independent by its editor, Mr Aengus Fanning, and deputy editor, Ms Anne Harris. RTE was represented by the director-general, Mr Bob Collins, and the new director of television, Mr Cathal Goan. Other mourners included the poet Seamus Heaney, the singer Sinead O'Connor and Jim Corr of the Corrs.