Hundreds of people turned out in the picturesque village of Schull in Co Cork yesterday for the removal of the body of the Aer Lingus chairman, Mr Bernie Cahill, to St Mary's Parish Church.
Mr Cahill, who died in a boating accident on Friday, was a native of nearby Bere Island and had lived in Schull for many years.
Local and national business figures, sportsmen and politicians joined neighbours and friends in mourning at the church.
The coffin was received by Father Michael Nolan, the parish priest, Father Sean O'Shea, chaplain to the lifeboat and former parish priest of Bere Island, and Bishop Kevin Boland, Bishop of Savannah, Georgia, and a native of Cork.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Mr Joe Walsh, represented the Government. The Munster MEP, Mr Brian Crowley, and the former EU commissioner, Mr Peter Sutherland, also attended.
Business personalities included the acting chief executive of Aer Lingus, Mr John O'Donovan; Mr Frank Boland, chairman of Cork Port Authority; Mr Brendan Tuohy, secretary-general of the Department of Public Enterprise; Mr Leslie Buckley, Mr Clayton Love jnr, Mr Eddie Nolan, former chairman and managing director of Ford Ireland; builder Mr Pat Fitzgerald; architect Mr Pat Phelan; Mr Pat O'Donovan of Egans of Cork, and former insurance expert Mr Peter Whyte and his wife, Kathleen. Mr Barry Galvin, the wine merchant, Enniskeen businessman Mr Bill Grainger, and Mr Frank Dunlop, PR consultant, also attended.
Ms Mary Purcell represented Cork Airport, and also present was Mr Cahill's secretary in Aer Lingus, Ms Anne Lawlor.
Mr Cahill started Carbery Milk Products, a milk-processing company, in west Cork in 1967 for Express Dairies, now part of Grand Metropolitan. Mr Mick O'Connor, Mr Larry Hennessy and Mr Niall O'Donovan were among Carbery employees at the removal.
Mr John Barry, now with Dairygold Co-operative, who succeeded Mr Cahill at Carbery, attended, as did Mr Denis Murphy, former general manager of Ballyclough Co-operative, and Mr John Myers, also formerly of Ballyclough.
From the United States came a former Carbery manager, Mr Jim Cronin, now in Louisville, Kentucky; Mr Pat O'Riordan of KOR Associates, Atlanta, Georgia, the company which organises Aer Lingus's marketing meetings in North America; and Mr Barry Twomey of O'Connors Fairways Travel in New York.
From the world of sport came Mr Paddy Maguire, president, represented the Irish Sailing Association. Mr David O'Brien, vice-admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club, of which Mr Cahill was admiral from 1982 to 1984, attended in full regalia. Other former admirals present included Mr John O'Connor, Mr Bill O'Mahony and Mr Bill Walsh.
Mr Cahill is survived by his wife, Kathleen, son, Daniel, daughters, Margaret and Anne; his brother, Mr Joe Cahill of Fermoy, Co Cork, sisters, Carmel and Connie, and daughterin-law, Laura.
After Requiem Mass in Schull today there will be a private burial ceremony on Bere Island.
The chief executive of Greencore, the former Irish Sugar Co, yesterday expressed "profound sorrow" at the news of Mr Cahill's death.
Mr Cahill had been chairman of the company until earlier this year.
Mr David Dilger said: "During his time as chairman of Greencore, he made a substantial contribution through his leadership and wise counsel.
"Bernie will be sadly missed, not just by his friends at Greencore, but also by the wider business community and by all who knew him."
At the weekend Fine Gael's deputy leader, Mr Jim Mitchell, said Mr Cahill was one of a generation of business people who laid the foundation of the State's recent economic growth.
He added: "Bernie Cahill gave distinguished voluntary service to Ireland in a number of significant capacities. He took on many difficult tasks and was never put off, no matter how much the criticism."