MRS Kitty O'Mahony, niece of Michael Collins and mother of the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, and Ms Mary Banotti MEP, had displayed great courage and strength throughout her long life, her funeral was told yesterday.
Father Gerard Pierse told the funeral Mass in St Anthony's Church, Clontarf, Dublin, yesterday that there were two types of funerals. "One is a grieving funeral when someone is wrenched from life like a tooth being pulled out without an anaesthetic. The other is a `goodbye and thank you' funeral, and this is one of those."
In 1921 Kitty was left without a home and at the age of 10 was left with another sister to act as mother and father to her younger siblings. She had taken to her duties with the courage and fortitude that characterised her life.
In 1949 she again had to respond courageously to the premature death of her husband, Jim. "She set out not just to survive but to have children who were out of the top drawer." It was an ambition she had achieved.
Chief mourners were Mrs O'Mahony's daughters, the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, Ms Mary Banotti, Dr Catherine O'Mahony and Mrs Joan Kinsella; her son, Mr Michael O'Mahony; her two surviving sisters, Mrs Joan Bunworth and Mrs Nancy Hurley; and her brothers, Mr Liam and Mr Michael O'Mahony.
The President was represented by her aide-de-camp, Comdt Hugo Bonnar. The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, and the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, led a large contingent of Mrs Owen's Cabinet colleagues.
They included the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn; the Minister for Health Mr Noonan the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Mr Dukes; the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa; the Minister for Education, Ms Breathnach; the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates; the Minister for Tourism and Trade, Mr Kenny; the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Mr Bruton; and the Attorney General, Mr Dermot Gleeson.
The former Taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald, attended, as did Ministers of State, Ms Avril Doyle and Mr Jimmy Deenihan.
Among the large number of Fine Gael TDs present were the former Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Mr Michael Lowry; the chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, Mr Phil Hogan; Mr Alan Shatter; Ms Theresa Ahearn; Mr Michael Creed; Ms Mary Flaherty; Mr Charlie Flanagan; Mr John Connor; and Mr Seymour Crawford.
Deputies from other parties included Mr Ivor Callely (Fianna Fail), Mr Derek McDowell and Mr Sean Ryan (Labour), and Mr Trevor Sargent (Green Party).
The Secretary of the Department of Justice, Mr Tim Dalton, attended the removal on Monday night, and a large number of officials of all ranks attended the funeral. The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, led a large contingent of senior gardai.
Representation from the legal world included the former Chief Justice, Mr T.F. O'Higgins; Mr Anthony Hederman of the Law Reform Commission; and the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Eamonn Barnes.
Mrs O'Mahony was buried in Dean's Grange Cemetery.