Integrity, honesty, enthusiasm and commitment were words used to describe the late Fine Gael deputy leader, Mr Jim Mitchell, at his requiem Mass in Dublin yesterday.
Hundreds of friends, relatives and former colleagues packed into St Joseph's Church in Terenure, Dublin, to remember the former cabinet minister who died at the age of 56 after a long illness.
The Mass was celebrated by a close friend of Mr Mitchell, the Darndale parish priest, Father Billy Fitzpatrick OMI.
Concelebrants included Mgr J.J. Greehy, the Terenure parish priest, Father Liam Carey, and Father Jim Caffrey, all friends of the Mitchell family.
Father Fitzpatrick described the ceremony as a celebration of Mr Mitchell's life and said the deceased would have been in his element to see so many friends and colleagues gathered together.
Mr Mitchell had organised the ceremony before he died, "to spare his family additional grief," his son, Ruairí, told the congregation.
Father Fitzpatrick said Mr Mitchell's honesty, integrity and sincerity had made him the very best kind of public servant. "He never, ever forgot where he had come from and he never had any doubt about where he was going."
It was fitting that the requiem Mass began with The Bells of the Angelus, Father Fitzpatrick said, as Mr Mitchell had grown up in the shadow of the Lourdes grotto in Inchicore and was "at home with the Ave".
He recalled how Mr Mitchell showed early political promise when they were both involved in the boys' club in Inchicore. Mr Mitchell was not happy with the commitment of the leaders and decided to address the issue with a position document.
"He said those who are not fired with enthusiasm should be fired - with enthusiasm," Father Fitzpatrick recalled.
"I think that's the way Jimmy lived his life, fired with enthusiasm for whatever he was doing. His liver may not have been the best, but there was nothing wrong with his heart, and he put his heart into everything he did."
The chief mourners at the Mass were Mr Mitchell's widow, Patsy, and their children, Ruairí, Sinéad, Neil, Aoife and Caitríona. They were joined by his brothers, Gay, Jack and Davy and sisters Hazel, Marie, Patsy and Jackie B.
Father Fitzpatrick asked the congregation to remember Mrs Patsy Mitchell's 92-year-old mother, Bridget, who was unable to attend the funeral.
A prayer of the faithful remembered the donor who had provided Mr Mitchell's liver, while Ruairí paid tribute to the staff in St Vincent's liver transplant unit, the Blackrock Clinic and Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross.
The music was provided by the choir from Darndale parish and included several Latin hymns.
The President, Mrs McAleese, was represented by Col Brian O'Reilly, while the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was represented by his aide-de-camp, Capt Gerald O'Grady.
Among those who attended the funeral were the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, and her husband, Mr Brian Geoghegan; the former Taoiseach, Mr Albert Reynolds; the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Dermot Lacey; and Mr Jim O'Brien, head of the European Parliament office in Dublin.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, led a large group of Fine Gael politicians. They included the former leader, Mr Michael Noonan, and the former TD, Mr Alan Dukes, as well as Mr Richard Bruton TD, Ms Olwyn Enright TD, Mr Phil Hogan TD, Mr Paul Connaughton TD, Senator Brian Hayes, Mr Simon Coveney TD and Mr Bernard Allen TD.
They also included Ms Avril Doyle MEP; former TDs Mr Charles Flanagan, Ms Frances Fitzgerald and Mr Bernard Allen; the former Lord Mayor, Mr Alexis Fitzgerald; and Dr Maurice Manning.
Ms Bríd Rodgers, the deputy SDLP leader, was present, as well as Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, and his colleague, Mr John Gormley.
The rector of Zion parish in Rathgar, the Rev Wilbert Gourley, represented the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Rev John Neill.
Ruairí Mitchell particularly thanked Cardinal Connell; the Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Dr Raymond Field; and the former SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, for attending the ceremonies over the past two days.
Mr Mitchell was buried in Mount Venus Cemetery in Rockbrook, Rathfarnham.
