Mourners including widows from all over the State attended the funeral in Finglas yesterday of Mrs Marie Dillon, the elderly woman beaten to death at her home during an attempted robbery last week.
An honour guard from the National Association of Widows in Ireland (NAWI) stood at the door of St Canice's as Mrs Dillon's coffin left the church before burial at Glasnevin Cemetery.
Mrs Dillon was one of the leading members of the association in Dublin and had worked to help women in need in the north of the city for two decades. She was particularly concerned about violence against women living alone and had suffered a number of burglaries and other acts of vandalism at her own home. She died from multiple injuries during a break-in at her home last Wednesday. A 17-year-old local youth has been charged with her murder.
The service at St Canice's was attended by about 700 people, predominantly middle-aged women, many of whom knew Mrs Dillon from her work for the association. Her hearse carried about two dozen wreaths, from Widows' Association members, her remaining family from Cork, from the staff of Superquinn in Finglas, her neighbours in Beneavin Road and from the Citizens' Information Centre.
Gardai from the Dublin West division who investigated Mrs Dillon's death attended the service. There were no public figures or politicians. The association's spokeswoman, Mrs Sheila Conroy, commenting on the absence of public figures said: "We were disappointed there was no public representative. Marie was a humble person but she served the community much better than many people whose funerals would attract 30 or 40 representatives from all over the country.
"We were very grateful that the gardai came - they have been very helpful. Marie was a harmless, lovely caring person, and one has to question where it is all going to stop."
In his sermon, Father Paul Thornton said: "In searching for hope we have to look at Marie's life and remember how she was so dedicated to people in their weakest moments. Her death does leave us hopeless and leaves us in great pain, but in her life she brought us happiness and hope to others."
Mrs May Clancy, national chairwoman of the association, Mrs Rosemary Pearse, of the International Federation of Widowed Persons, who travelled from London for the funeral, and Mrs Dillon's nephew, Mr Frank O'Sullivan, from Cork, also paid tributes.
The Garda Siochana was represented by the Dublin West Chief Superintendent, Michael Carolan; Superintendents Malachy Mulligan and Anthony Sourke and Inspectors Eddie Quirke, John Mulligan and Peter Hughes.