FORMER TAOISEACH John Bruton was among the many mourners who attended the funeral on Saturday of the late Joe Murray, former head of farming programmes in RTÉ, who died late last week.
Hundreds of mourners packed Foxrock church for the funeral Mass where many of his colleagues from RTÉ and media colleagues from the national newspapers and the farming press attended.
Chief celebrant Fr Dermod McCarthy, who was also an RTÉ colleague and friend, spoke of Mr Murray’s integrity and bravery as a reporter.
He said he and his wife Toni had to endure threatening telephone calls in the middle of the night at the time of the beef tribunal.
Fr McCarthy spoke of Mr Murray’s unlimited kindness to friends and even strangers and said he was a man who had the unique talent to spot the need in other people and help them.
The mourners included representatives from all parts of the agriculture and food industry including Aiden Cotter, chief executive of the Irish Food Board, and Dan Browne of Dawn Meats.
Three former presidents of the Irish Farmers’ Association also attended – Alan Gillis, Pádraig Walshe and Tom Parlon, as well as former general secretary Michael Berkery and current general secretary, Pat Smith.
Among the mourners were former Fine Gael leader Alan Dukes, Mairéad McGuinness MEP and Alex White TD. Representatives from the Department of Agriculture included two former secretary generals, Michael Dowling and John Malone.
The chief mourners were: his wife Margaret (Toni); daughters Isobel and Susan; grandchildren, Michael, Meabh, Killian, Katie and Conrad; brothers Sylvester and Billy and sister Mary.