TRIBUTES WERE paid to former humorous columnist and television critic with The Irish Times, Brendan Glacken, at a funeral Mass in the Church of St Paul of the Cross, Mount Argus, Dublin, yesterday.
Pointing out that his father had outlived his original six-week cancer prognosis by almost three years, Ross Glacken said: “Brendan had a lust for life that I will always remember and hold close. He did not want people to be sad about his death, he wanted everyone to be happy and look forward to the party. So really this is not a grim or morbid funeral but a celebration of a great man and a great life,” he said.
“He loved being surrounded by a party, good friends, family and fine wine. At yesterday’s wake he would have been delighted to know that, true to his passion for a good party, he was the first to arrive and the last to leave!”
The chief celebrant was Fr Joe Kennedy CP, assisted by Fr Noel Redmond CSSp, formerly of Rockwell College, and Fr Seán Bredin, Order of St Camillus. The ceremony was watched from abroad by relatives of the deceased in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Japan on the parish internet website at www.mountargusparish.ie/
The funeral gifts included a published collection of the humorous “Times Square” columns which ran in the paper for 10 years from 1992 to 2002. Glacken was “a wonderful writer” with an occasionally acerbic wit, Fr Kennedy said.
Chief mourners at the funeral were his wife Trisha McKay, daughter Ruth, sons Ross and Nick, sisters Marita and Triona, and brother Paul. Other relatives, friends and former colleagues from The Irish Timesand the Oireachtas parliamentary reporting staff also attended.
The Irish Timeswas represented by managing editor Gerry Smyth. The National Union of Journalists was represented by John Moran, father of chapel at The Irish Times, and John Brophy from the national executive.
Former attorney general John Rogers SC, Cllr Mary Freehill and founding editor of In Dublin magazine John Doyle also attended.
Former colleagues from The Irish Timespresent included Caroline Walsh, Liam McAuley, Conor Goodman, Barry O'Keeffe, Kieran Fagan, Sheila Wayman, Fionnuala Mulcahy and Lorna Kernan.