I was in Cork and Killarney last week.
Finbarr is a good friend of my best friend Mel, they both live in Killarney in the beautiful southwest of Ireland. Mel is retired and Finbarr is a pharmacist, they met because Mel is a regular customer and being originally American something of a curiosity in Killarney.
I met Finbarr and his family when they, him and his 5 children, two boys and three girls stopped here in Saint Denis a few years ago for two days on their way home from Spain.
The story as told to us by Finbarr over lunch a couple of days ago in Killarney goes like this.
His father is 75 years old and his uncle, his father’s brother was 78. The two brothers always looked alike but as they got older they shrank to the same approximate size, had the same wrinkled faces and the same thinning hair. A week ago the uncle died and following the usual custom the body was laid out in the funeral home with the coffin open and the family present to accept the condolences of friends and family. That evening the now closed coffin was removed to the local Catholic church, and placed in the nave waiting the funeral mass the next day.
The following morning friends and family assembled in the church for the mass and Finbarr’s sister was chosen to drive their father to the church. He has limited mobility and walks with a Zimmer frame so she decided that the gravel and steps in front of the church would be too much of a challenge and dropped him off behind the church. She left him and went to park the car and he slowly made his way around the darkened sanctuary and the altar making his way towards his family in the first row of seats.
An older lady and long time family friend was saying a final prayer over the coffin. She finished her prayer, opened her eyes and looking up saw the look alike brother come around the altar pushing his Zimmer frame. Jesus Christ shouted the old lady, Hallelujah shouted Dad throwing up his arms and totally confusing the old friend now using the coffin for support.
The assembled congregation as they understood the lady’s confusion erupted into waves of laughter.
Hats off to Dad.
I hope this finds you well and in equally good spirits,