There was a huge turnout for the funeral of Philomena Lynott in St. Fintan’s Cemetery in Sutton, which took place at noon today. Philomena, the mother of legendary Dublin rocker, Philip Lynott and the author of the No.1 best-selling My Boy, died at her home, in Sutton last week. She had been diagnosed with cancer and had fought the illness bravely over the past two and more years, but she had refused chemotherapy. She was 88 years of age.

Philomena Lynott was the prime mover in the creation of the statue of Philip Lynott which now stands on Harry Street, just off Grafton Street in the city centre of Dublin.

In attendance were Philomena’s closest friend and ally, Graham Cohen, her sister Betty and her brother Peter Lynott (who repurposed a song-poem he'd written as a tribute to Philip to Philomena for the day), Philomena's close friend Audrey O’Neill (who spoke movingly in the church of her relationship with Philomena), Myles Lally and Edel Fitzgerald, her children Philomena and Leslie, and many members of the extended family including Philip’s children, Sara and Cathleen, nieces and nephews, Caroline Taraskevics, documentary director Emer Reynolds, Brian Downey of Thin Lizzy, Hot Press editor Niall Stokes and co-founder of Hot Press Máirín Sheehy, Duan Stokes, Rowan Stokes, Dermot Stokes, co-author of My Boy Jackie Hayden, Mark Hogan of Hot Press, former BBC NI entertainment boss and now independent film producer Mike Edgar, members of the Róisín Dubh Trust, including broadcaster Roddie Cleere, originator of the Vibe for Philo, Smiley Bolger, Pat Maguire, film director Jim Sheridan, artist Jim Fitzpatrick, David Delaney, Jason Delaney, B. P. Fallon, poet Peter Fallon, Brush Shiels, Fran Quigley of CAVS, musician Paul Byrne, members of Aslan, former RTÉ newsreader Anne Doyle, noted fan Colm Weadick, Paddy Dunning of Grouse Lodge Studios, Laoise Keaveney, Peter Emmett, Michael Wright, Rosaleen 'Rambo' McKenna, Declan Hayes, Dave Allen of Whelan's, Presidential candidate Gavin Duffy and Orla Carmody, Mick O'Flanagan, Anne McCoy and many more well known names and faces from the Dublin scene. Songs were sung by the very fine soprano Sarah McCourt, from Dundalk, who was accompanied by her father on the organ.

Both the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and an Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, were represented.

Fr. Bryan Shortall, who officiated, was a long-standing admirer of Thin Lizzy's music and he made a speech, recalling a number highly amusing moments with Philomena Lynott. The funniest was probably his description of an occasion when Philomena met the then-Lord Mayor of Dublin at a reception. "Would you like a drink?" the Lord Mayor asked. "Oh, I'd love a glass of holy water," Philomena answered, referring to her favourite tipple, Jameson. The Lord Mayor disappeared to procure the blessed amber liquid. Twenty minutes, the Lord Mayor re-emerged with a glass of water cadged from the nearest church! Clearly, this was one man who did not understand Philomena's sense of humour...

And so farewell, Philomena Lynott. Ni fheichimíd do leithéid arís. Rest in peace.