Friends and family yesterday said farewell to the man who was the first to popularly chronicle the lives of Irish labourers and navvies in England in song, Christie Hennessy, who died of cancer in London last week.
An hour-long funeral service at his local church in Wimbledon, southwest London, marked the life of the Tralee man whose given name was not Hennessy but Ross. He was a Beatles fan throughout his life, and his coffin arrived to the sound of The Long and Winding Road, prompting some smiles among those mourners who knew him best. His body was then taken from the church to the accompaniment of his own compositions Roll Back the Cloudsand I am a Star.
Among those who travelled from Ireland to the small, private family service were Tony Allen of trad duo Foster and Allen, singer Tommy Fleming, radio presenter Gerry Kelly and Christy Moore's sound crew. Moore's breakthrough hit Don't Forget Your Shovelwas composed by Hennessy.
His wife, Gill Ross - accompanied by daughters Hermione and Amber and son Tim - led the tributes. She was followed by record company executive Dave Pennyfeather.
The singer had been seriously ill with asbestosis since March of this year. He was once offered the opportunity to join an early incarnation of Fleetwood Mac. Instead, he chose to concentrate on a solo career as a singer-songwriter, not really achieving success until his early 40s.
Hennessy battled with dyslexia to compose chart-topping hits for Frances Black and Moya Brennan of Clannad, as well as Christy Moore, and he released eight albums as a solo artist. His manager, Fran Cotton, last night described the funeral as "sad but beautiful". A memorial service open to the public will be held in Tralee on December 27th.