Mourners gathered at St. Ailbe’s Catholic Church in County LimerickA funeral Mass was held for Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan today at St. Ailbe’s Church in Ballybricken, County Limerick, Ireland.
When news had spread of the funeral, several radio stations played “When You’re Gone,” in tribute to the singer, who died unexpectedly last week at the age of 46, the BBC reported.
At the beginning of the Mass, a guitar and a platinum disc aware were brought to the altar, along with a devotional picture of Our Lady of Dolours, after whom she was named.
Hundreds of mourners gather in Dolores O'Riordan's Irish hometown for the funeral of the Cranberries singer. https://t.co/Nf3qfqnoia
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 23, 2018
In his homily, Canon Liam McNamara, a family friend, remembered the singer as someone who had helped others.
“The numbers she rescued from the darkness of depression are impossible to count,” he said.
McNamara recalled the first time he had met O’Riordan. “”There she is, sitting at the keyboard, playing and singing with the choir in this lovely Church of Saint Ailbe,” he said.
The Mass began with a recording of “Ave Maria” sung by O’Riordan and Luciano Pavarotti.
Dolores O'Riordan funeral mass begins with a recording of Ave Maria sung by Dolores and Luciano Pavarotti pic.twitter.com/RRh33VW5l3
— Darren McCaffrey (@darrenmccaffrey) January 23, 2018
Offering his prayers for O’Riordan and her departed family and friends, he said, “It is our sincere prayer that our beloved Dolores is now re-united with her father, Terry, her baby brother, Gerard, grandparents, relatives and friends, in the presence of the Lord and Our Lady of Dolours in the heavenly kingdom, where there is no more pain or suffering or separations, but only joy and peace for all eternity.”
In an interview after meeting Pope John Paul II, O’Riordan credited her faith as one of her greatest musical influences:
“The Church influenced a lot of my development as an artist and as a musician. I learned an awful lot of my music through the church and stuff like that. For me It’s always been a good thing, a positive thing in my life.”
Read more:
When the Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan sang ‘Ave Maria’ with Pavarotti
