Mark Clinton was described as "a man of the world, of working life, and, also, a man of God," by his local curate, Father Liam Belton, at his funeral Mass in the Church of the Holy Family, Rathcoole, Co Dublin yesterday.
Mr Clinton, a former Fine Gael TD, Minister for Agriculture and MEP, died on Christmas Eve.
Father Belton told the congregation that they were present to give thanks for Mr Clinton's life. Fine Gael TDs, and former TDs, as well as friends, some of whom knew him for several decades, formed a guard of honour as the cortege left the church for Newcastle cemetery where he was buried. Among those present was Ms Molly Guildea, from Balbriggan, Co Dublin who was his personal assistant since the 1930s.
The President, Mrs McAleese, was represented by her ADC, Captain Michael Treacy, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, by his ADC, Captain Ger O'Grady.
The attendance also included the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Ms de Valera; the Ceann Comhairle, Mr Seamus Pattison; a former Fine Gael Taoiseach, Mr Liam Cosgrave; former ministerial colleagues, Mr Tom O'Donnell, Mr Richie Ryan and Mr Peter Barry; as well as Fine Gael TDs, Mr John Browne, Mr Paul McGrath, Mr Charlie Flanagan, Mr Jim Mitchell, Mr Donal Carey, Mr Bernard Durkan, Mrs Nora Owen, Mr Seymour Crawford, Mr John Farrelly, Mr Gerry Reynolds, and the party's general secretary, Mr Tom Curran.
Fianna Fβil MEP Mr Niall Andrews and Fine Gael MEPs Ms Mary Banotti and Ms Avril Doyle were also present; as were Senator Maurice Manning of Fine Gael and Senator John Dardis of the Progressive Democrats; the outgoing president of the IFA, Mr Tom Parlon; former IFA presidents, Mr T. J. Maher and Mr Alan Gillis; a former senior civil servant, Dr T.K. Whitaker; the businessman Mr Larry Goodman; and a former general secretary of the Labour party, Mr Brendan Halligan.
The chief mourners were Mr Clinton's widow, Dorothy; sons, Joe, Mark, Richard and David; daughters, Paula and Olivia; and sisters, Sadie and Olive. He was predeceased by another son, Peter.
