JOURNALIST EUGENE Moloney, who was killed in a street attack in Dublin last month, has been remembered as “an enormously generous guy”. His funeral Mass took place yesterday at Our Lady Queen of Peace church on Dublin’s Merrion Road. Burial will follow today at St Mura’s parish church, Fahan, Co Donegal.
Mr Moloney (55) died following an assault on Camden Street while walking home to Portobello Place on the morning of Sunday, June 24th.
His brother, Seán Moloney, told The Irish Times yesterday how the family returned to Belfast in 1965 after their father, John, from Tankardstown in Co Limerick, died in Birmingham. In later years they lived at Fahan in Co Donegal, where Eugene was a regular visitor, particularly before his mother, Peig, died in 2007.
In a homily at the Mass Fr Fergus O’Connor recalled Mr Moloney’s “gentleness, thoughtfulness . . . [and] his nieces, nephews and cousins who were particular beneficiaries of his generosity”.
Music was by harpist Deirdre Seaver and the Lost Brothers, including Mr Moloney’s nephew, Óisín Leech. While the coffin was being wheeled down the aisle afterwards, the Lost Brothers sang one of Mr Moloney’s favourite songs, Bob Dylan’s Forever Young. Fr O’Connor said its lyrics “typified for many what Eugene was”.
As his coffin left the church there was prolonged applause from a large congregation composed mainly of Mr Moloney’s many friends and colleagues in the media. His trademark hat is to be buried with him in Fahan today.
Chief mourners at the Mass were Seán, his sister Róisín, and girlfriend Chichi Tran.
Speaking afterwards, Irish News editor Noel Doran said he first met Mr Moloney 35 years ago at the College of Business Studies in Belfast. In later years they worked together reporting on the Troubles until Mr Moloney began working with the Irish Independent in Dublin. “Eugene remained the same today as then, which was kind of reassuring.”
NUJ general secretary Séamus Dooley worked with Mr Moloney for nine years at the Irish Independent. “Eugene called it ‘the Mother Teresa shift’. Vinny and himself would have these long conversations about travelling.
“The whole world could be falling apart and Vinny would tell the rest of us, ‘keep an eye out for Mother Teresa’ [who was ill at the time] while they chatted on.”
Mr Moloney was “an enormously generous guy”, he said.
Gary Burch (21), of Kennington Close, Templeogue, Dublin, was charged last week with Mr Moloney’s manslaughter.
