Singer Joe Dolan began his final encore in his native Mullingar, Co Westmeath, yesterday.
Thousands of people gathered in the town to say farewell to the 68-year-old entertainer who died on Wednesday. From mid-morning they queued to sign the book of condolences in the foyer of the County Buildings. Later, there were long queues as people gathered to pay their last respects at Gilsenan's Funeral Home where he lay in repose.
Last night, amid applause and tears, his coffin was shouldered by members of the family to the nearby Cathedral of Christ the King, where it was received by local curate Fr Mark English.
Fr English noted that at this time of year they sang For Unto Us A Saviour Has Been Born, but some could sing better than others.
Addressing the family, he said: "And your Joe was one of the best in the trade. The choirs of angels may well be challenged for the Christmas number one by the Mullingar man in the white suit! But we as believers in the Child of Bethlehem, come this night of the Christmas season, to thank God for the gift of a brother, uncle, friend and entertainer, and to pray that Joe may inherit the promise revealed in that Bethlehem stable, of salvation for those who adore in faith, hope and love, the Son of God".
Fr English said that it was right and proper to acknowledge nationally the passing of Joe Dolan, of whom it was said, "there was no show like a Joe show".
He added: "You have brought Joe back to this cathedral in the shadow of which he grew up, to keep vigil for the repose of his soul. In its shadow too, when at home, Joe was treated purely as a local lad.
"Now as family, locals and thousands from near and far, we pray that Jesus, in whose eyes fame counts for nothing, may listen to our humble prayer and grant heavenly love and mercy to your Joe, whose distinctive voice now fades from this earthly stage, but which will forever echo in the memory of you who loved him as family, friend or fan."
Among the attendance was former taoiseach Albert Reynolds, who hired the young Dolan and his band, The Drifters, when he ran ballrooms in the midlands in the late 1950s and 1960s. "He was a magnificent talent," said Mr Reynolds. "Not alone was he one of our great showband heroes, but he went on to become an international star."
Westmeath Fianna Fáil senator and impresario Donie Cassidy knew Dolan from the time he was a member of a support band for The Drifters in the 1960s.
"He was our biggest star since John McCormack. He always remained loyal to his roots in Mullingar and that's why he was loved locally."
Among the showband stars there from the 1960s were Big Tom McBride, Margo, Jimmy and Tommy Swarbrigg, and Tony Allen.
Politicians who attended included Longford-Westmeath TDs Peter Kelly and Willie Penrose as well as former Fine Gael TD Paul McGrath.
Overall, however, it was a day for the people of Westmeath to say a poignant farewell to one of their own. Dolan's pub, Mullingar House in Dominick Street, was closed as a mark of respect.
Joe and Eleanor Murphy queued for two hours to pay their respects. They met one night in the then National Ballroom in Dublin's Parnell Square when Joe Dolan was in the first phase of his fame in the 1960s.
"You could say Joe brought us together," Eleanor said. "We queued for his dances and cabaret performances and now we are queuing for the last time to say farewell."
Seán Thompson first met Dolan in 1963 when the rising star had just turned professional.
"Joe and his band were playing at a venue called the Ideal Ballroom which was no more than a wooden hut," he said. "We became loyal friends. He was honest, genuine, with no airs and graces - he had charisma and a heart of gold."
Dolan will be buried in Walshestown Cemetery today following 11am Mass.