Hundreds of mourners gathered at a Jewish cemetery in Cork yesterday to pay their respects to the former Lord Mayor of Cork, Mr Gerald Goldberg.Aged 91, Mr Goldberg died on New Year's Eve. Louise Geaney reports.
Yesterday hundreds of mourners, including leading figures from the political, legal and Irish-Jewish community converged on the rural cemetery at Curraghkippane for the funeral service.
Among those attending were representatives of the President and the Attorney General, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, Green Party TD, Mr Dan Boyle, the Bishop of Cork and Ross John Buckley, the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross Paul Colton, and local representatives.
The 11th child of 12 born to Lithuanian parents, Mr Goldberg became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Cork.
The father of three served as a city councillor for 18 years and was elected as Lord Mayor in 1977-78 when he was a member of Fianna Fáil representing the south-west ward.
He was also the first Jewish president of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.
Members of Cork City Council stood in full ceremonial dress to form a guard of honour inside the gates of the cemetery as the cortege arrived.
The Chief Rabbi of Ireland, Dr Isaac Pearlman said in his oration: "We are here today to bid farewell to a very special and unique man.
"Gerald Goldberg achieved much in his lifetime, he was a distinguished criminal lawyer and outstanding political figure. But above all else he was the backbone of the Jewish community in Cork.
"He was proud of his Jewishness and was never afraid to speak out on behalf of Jews in the face of anti-Semitism," he said, adding that the lawyer was vocal in his opposition to the government policy of refusing to admit refugees during the atrocities of the second World War.
"He was a true representative of the Jewish people and has earned the position of high honour in the history of Jews in Ireland and will be forever remembered by the people of Cork," Dr Pearlman said.
Tributes were also paid at the graveside service by deputy Lord Mayor Mr Jim Corr and Professor of History at UCC Dermot Keogh, who recalled the indelible mark Goldberg left upon his native Cork, through his patronage of the arts and vision for the city.
"He was a man of vision and he was concerned with shaping the future and he certainly played a part in shaping the future of Cork as we see it today," Mr Corr said.
"He contributed in a large measure to the cultural life of Cork and the nation and overcame hardship and prejudice to become one of Ireland's best known and respected Irishman, Corkman and Jew," Mr Corr added.