{"id":23497,"date":"2021-10-15T09:18:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T13:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23497"},"modified":"2021-10-16T09:22:59","modified_gmt":"2021-10-16T13:22:59","slug":"music-was-his-life-mourners-told-at-paddy-moloneys-funeral","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23497","title":{"rendered":"‘Music Was His Life’ Mourners Told At Paddy Moloney’s Funeral"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The coffin of Chieftains founder Paddy Moloney arrives at St. Kevin’s Church in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow (PA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Paddy Moloney lived for music, mourners at his funeral were told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The president of Ireland Michael D Higgins attended the funeral mass at St Kevin\u2019s Church in Glendalough, Co Wicklow, for the founder of The Chieftains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dublin musician, who played a key role in the revival of traditional Irish folk music, died this week aged 83.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other members of The Chieftains attended the funeral along with Moloney\u2019s widow Rita, his children Aonghus, Aedin and Padraig, and his grandchildren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fr Eamonn Crosson told mourners that Moloney had admirers all over the world and that his music would live on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His son Aonghus told the service that his father had played for the Pope as well as opening for The Rolling Stones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cA special thanks to The Chieftains. Paddy would always have wanted it that they would have the final note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPaddy\u2019s life was The Chieftains. Music was his life. He lived for that moment when he would walk out onto that stage and say: \u2018I\u2019m Paddy Moloney from Dublin, Ireland, the greatest city in the world.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe always let his music do the talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbove all, Paddy was devoted to Rita. There was a 60 years-plus love affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur dad loved doing what he did. In March last year, Covid brought about abandoned and then cancelled tours. For the first time in 70 years Paddy Moloney couldn\u2019t play music to an audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPaddy died last Tuesday. When the thing he loved most was taken away from him, Paddy\u2019s life faded from last March.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the funeral a set of uilleann pipes and a tin whistle were brought to the altar, and a photograph of a young Moloney was placed on his coffin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moloney founded The Chieftains in 1962 and led the band to international recognition, including six Grammy awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally from Donnycarney in north Dublin, Moloney was the band\u2019s main composer and played a variety of instruments, including the uilleann pipes, tin whistle and bodhran drum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tributes to Moloney have been paid from all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mick Jagger tweeted: \u201cSad to hear of Paddy Moloney\u2019s passing \u2013 the greatest uilleann piper on the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Higgins said this week that he was an \u201cextraordinary\u201d musician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPaddy, with his extraordinary skills as an instrumentalist, notably the uilleann pipes and bodhran, was at the forefront of the renaissance of interest in Irish music, bringing a greater appreciation of Irish music and culture internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHis legacy will remain with us in the music which he created and brought to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

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