JOURNALIST Louis McRedmond gave many of his generation a deep understanding of the Second Vatican Council and its implications for Irish Catholics, his funeral Mass heard yesterday.
Mr McRedmond – a former editor of the Irish Independentand the first director of the course in journalism at the College of Commerce in Rathmines – was remembered as a gentleman, scholar and Christian of strong conviction during the Mass at the Holy Cross Church in Dundrum, Dublin.
Chief celebrant Fr Conor Harper told the congregation that Mr McRedmond was “a man of reform” who wished to see a church that was inclusive of all.
Fr Harper said Mr McRedmond’s spell in Rome in the 1960s covering the second Vatican Council “marked the rest of his life” and that he had reported the momentous changes arising from the council to the Irish public with great influence.
As well as being a “Christian of the best sort”, he added that Mr McRedmond was “a profound European” and a “ man of the universe” who loved to travel and make new discoveries.
Fr Harper praised Mr McRedmond’s talents as a historian, writer and speaker and said his legacy would live on through his family, which was his greatest “treasure”.
Mr McRedmond died last Sunday aged 78. He is survived by his wife Maeve, sons Michael and David, daughters Anne and Elizabeth and 13 grandchildren.
Among the congregation at his funeral were outgoing RTÉ director general Cathal Goan; journalist and author Tim Pat Coogan; broadcasters and journalists Vincent Browne and Matt Cooper; TV3 director of programming Ben Frow; and TV3 head of news Andrew Hanlon.
Also there were former Irish rugby international Hugo MacNeill; Sunday TimesIreland editor Frank Fitzgibbon; former Irish Timesracing correspondent Michael O'Farrell; and the deputy managing editor of Independent Newspapers, Frank Coughlan.
The Mass was concelebrated by retired bishop of Killaloe Dr Willie Walsh, Fr Bernard Treacy and Fr Tom Stack, among others.
Mr McRedmond’s son David, who is the chief executive of TV3, said his father lived his life as he intended to and was always true to his faith.
He said his father loved his native Mitchelstown, Co Cork, and was proud of his Munster heritage and the province’s rugby team until the end, even though his grandchildren were Leinster fans.
“When he took his last breath on Sunday it was at half time in the Munster-Toulon game,” Mr McRedmond said in his eulogy.
“So he is gone to heaven in the absolute certainty that Munster are going to win the Heineken Cup.”
He paid tribute to the staff of Blackrock Hospice for the care they had provided his father in his last days and to his father for the patience and forbearance with which he faced his illness.
