Marian Finucane has been described as an icon of Irish broadcasting at her funeral mass in Co. Kildare.
(Source: www.rte.ie)Hundreds of mourners from the world of politics and public life have attended the funeral of the 69 year old, who died suddenly last Thursday.
She had worked in RTÉ since 1974 and presented a number of high profile radio programmes, including Women Today, Liveline and The Marian Finucane Show.
Today her son Jack thanked the thousands of people from all over the country who sent messages of condolence to the family.
He described Marian as a woman of many parts, including mother, sister, aunt, architect and broadcaster, but said there was also another side to her life:
"The woman I knew behind all these selves was a shy lady, who was as happy reading a book in silence as she was sitting around the dinner table in the small hours of the morning with friends, laughing, joking, singing when she could remember the words."
Her funeral heard she had made the decision to retire from RTÉ in order to spend more time with her family, to travel and read.
Jack also told the congregation that she was looking forward to welcoming her grandchild next month:
"Her spirit will live on when the next generation of her family is born next month. Jenny and I will try to raise our child to have courage, curiosity and kindness - all virtues that Marian espoused."
Marian's husband John Clarke delivered a moving eulogy for his late wife:
"I find myself so powerless at the moment. I don't know what to do, I truly don't know what to do. Some weeks ago we were in a township in Africa and a very old black woman said to us 'the only thing I can give you are my tears' and that's all I think I can do today."
John Clarke, husband of the late Marian Finucane, said that she "always made the colours brighter, the world a bit easier to live in" | https://t.co/OHhaNAF7ML pic.twitter.com/VT8VhCA3M3
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 7, 2020
