Former RTÉ broadcaster Liam Ó Murchú was a "big proponent and fan of literature and poems of all kind," his son Colmán recalled during the closing remarks of his eulogy to his father at The Church of Our Lady of Victories in Sallynoggin on Friday.
“But when we asked him who his favourite poet was, the answer was always the same. Our revels are now ended. These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted into air, into thin air. We are such stuff as dreams are made of, and our little life is rounded with sleep.”
Shakespeare's famous line from The Tempest brought to a close a music-filled, bilingual celebration of a man who devoted his life to his family and love of the Irish language.
Colmán Ó Murchú thanked the congregation for their support and tributes to his father.
“Oh, he would have liked this, he would have enjoyed this very much,” he said, looking from Mr Ó Murchú’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren, to the members of Na Casaidigh music group warming up their instruments . “In fact, the only thing’s that missing is the starting 15 of the 1976 Cork hurling championship.”
The sad, sweet tones of uileann pipes, fiddle and voice from Na Casaidigh, with Cormac Breatnach on flute, accompanied the Irish-language funeral mass which remembered the man who once wrote he had found “a rich and exciting new world that would replenish me for the rest of my days” in poetry and song.
Mr Ó Murchú, who was former head of Irish language programmes, controller of programmes and deputy director general at RTÉ, died last week aged 86.
Colmán Ó Murchú spoke of how his father adored reciting poetry and singing to his children. “I saw him differently in the last few years,” Mr Ó Murchú told the congregation. “I was reminded of Patrick Kavanagh: ‘Every old man I see reminds me of my father. Where he had fallen in love with death, one time when sheaves were gathered.’ ”
Fr Dermod McCarthy, former editor of religious programmes for RTÉ and chief celebrant of the funeral Mass, said Ireland had lost a hero of the Irish language.
"Liam devoted much of his broadcasting career to making the Irish language prosper, making it cool to speak Irish," said Fr McCarthy. "Long before TG4, Liam introduced Buntús Cainte with attractive women speaking fluent Irish and making it look and sound easy."
Fr Mc Carthy recalled how Liam Ó Murchú received a phonecall from a member of the Language Freedom Movement who told him: “I personally think Mr Ó Murchú that you’re flogging a dead horse, but you’re flogging it with style.”
He gave people the courage and the confidence to speak Irish, Fr McCarthy said, adding that apart from his family, faith and work, Liam Ó Murchú’s two great loves were his garden and daily plunge at the 40ft in Sandycove.
The chief mourners at the funeral were the former broadcaster’s eight children; Veronica, Noelle, Des, Enda, Brian, Colmán, Éadaoin and Úna, and 14 of his 18 grandchildren, as well as other relatives and friends.
Among the large attendance were members of the Irish broadcasting community including RTÉ deputy director-general Kevin Bakhurst, Árdstiúrthóir TG4 Pól Ó Gallchóir, former managing director of RTÉ television Joe Mulholland and broadcaster Seán Bán Breathnach.
Bishop of Cork and Ross John Buckley also took part in the funeral Mass.
President Michael D Higgins was represented by aide de camp Lt Col Michael Kiernan and Taoiseach Enda Kenny was represented by Comdt Ronan Dillon.
Also in attendance were actors Peadar Lamb and Geraldine Plunkett and writer Liam Mac Con Iomaire.
Born in Cork, Mr Ó Murchú was a popular presenter of programmes including the bilingual variety show Trom agus Eadrom for which he won a Jacobs award.
In the early 1980s he ran as a Fianna Fáil general election candidate in Cork North Central.
