Mullingar's favourite son: tears flow as tribute to singer unveiled
EVERYONE HAS a Joe Dolan story. At least that's how it seemed among the more than 6,000 people from all over Ireland and the world who thronged Mullingar yesterday for the unveiling of a statue of the musical legend in his home town.
Fans queued from early morning for the coveted first glimpse of the statue.
Noeleen Malone and daughter Karen from Deansgrange waited four hours to get a good vantage point because, she said: "I just loved him so much. A little bit of my life is gone."
The guest of honour, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, described Dolan as one of Ireland's best loved singers and entertainers who "left the country and whole world a lasting musical legacy," a man "who captivated audiences around the world".
When he and Joe's brother Ben removed the white cloth covering the statue there was a collective gasp and a huge cheer. The first person to put his arms around the life-size bronze creation was the singer's brother Paddy.
"No matter when we ever met, Joe always put his arms around me and I around him. We always had a little hug together. Joe was a wonderful guy. You couldn't say enough about him," he said.
Dolan's sister Dympna Fitzgerald, home from England for the celebration, said it made her very sad to see her brother on a big screen and to hear thousands of people answer "we do" as he sang "Do you love me, really love me" from the chorus of his first hit song, The Answer to Everything.
"A lady told me that for 48 years he's given her the happiest years of her life. Now that is wonderful for anyone to say - to think that my brother, that we used to consider 'just Joe' had that effect on people," she said.
Dolan's barber, Frank McIntyre said Joe's magic derived from his being an ordinary man and spoke of how the singer never failed to answer a call from a stranger who paid an impromptu visit to the barbershop hoping to meet the star. He still keeps Dolan's number on his phone.
He recalled how the singer once had his hair cut for charity, an event that raised over £1,600, more than was needed, to buy a wheelchair for a local person.
He recalled Dolan telling him that Ryanair's Michael O'Leary used to caddy for him. When asked why he didn't caddy for his father who played at the same club, O'Leary supposedly replied "because he won't pay me."
The afternoon finished with a magical concert. Synchronised to a video backdrop of the late singer performing live, the Joe Dolan band performed a segment from the reunion show. Thousands of voices joined in familiar choruses, waved Joe Dolan scarves and hovered to have their copies of the star's official biography signed by members of his family.
By the finale, many were unable to hold back their tears any longer, as they sang along to "Goodbye Venice goodbye, goodbye my love."