Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
MARIAN FINUCANE’S HUSBAND said that the veteran broadcaster had decided to retire last December.
John Clarke said that they had been “so excited” at the prospect of retirement: “We would have more time, more space, more books to read, more places to see. Sadly that’s not going to happen.”
The 69-year-old radio presenter, who had been the voice of various flagship RTÉ programmes for four decades, passed away at her home last Thursday.
Today, a large crowd of family, friends and colleagues gathered at St Brigid’s Church in Kill, Co Kildare for her funeral.
In a heartfelt eulogy address, her husband John described the relationship he had with “my Marian, a woman who I’ve loved for 40 years”, who he said made “the colours brighter, the world a bit easier to live in”.
Somebody said about us, I don’t know who, that we were two 15-year-old adolescents who were addicted to each other and forgot to grow up. I don’t deny that.
“I find myself so powerless at the moment, I truly don’t know what to do,” John told the congregation, while visibly upset.
Some weeks ago we were in a township in Africa where 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.
Their son Jack had spoken earlier about his mother’s “great empathy and curiosity”.
He said that “the woman I knew 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), debating the politics of the day, and generally sorting out the world’s problems one dinner party at a time”.
The chief celebrant of the mass Monsignor Ciarán O’Carroll, who is a cousin of Marian’s, paid tribute to her as “an icon of Irish broadcasting”.
A generous and determined woman, and a thoughtful and kind friend whose keen sense of humour enriched the lives of many, her charity work at home and abroad was simply outstanding.
“Thousands always enjoyed her programmes and she will be missed on the radio. Publicly, the nation has lost a skilled broadcaster.”
Born in 1950, Marian Finucane first worked with RTÉ in the 1970s. A qualified architect, she became a programme presenter working on programmes concerned with contemporary social issues, especially those concerning women, notably on Women Today.
She became a household name with her Liveline programme on RTÉ Radio One. A winner of the Prix Italia, her television work included Consumer Choice and Crime Line.
On Gay Byrne’s retirement in 1999, she took over his early morning radio slot to present The Marian Finucane Show, ultimately taking over the morning slots on Saturday and Sunday.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Well deserved Clinton done more than any other US President in the peace process
@Joe Johnson: what like supplying north korea with equipment to create nuclear weapons?
You guys are sheeps
@Joe Johnson: The peace process was more about powerful political unionists giving up their ascendancy over the minority.
@Liam Rogers:
The article is about the peace process in NI and not in NK.
@Joe Johnson: Goodman Bill, you might have smoked but you didn’t inhale……
Seriously?? This fella?
@Liam Rogers: yeah which foreign leader did more? Putin?
@Dr Rex Butts: Trump! You Pleb!
@Liam Rogers:
Do you understand what the role of the US was in the peace process?
@Liam Rogers: Another new lame troll.
@Liam Rogers: agreed. Serial adulator. Go Belfast, forget his minor mishaps with women. Just after the ridiculous verdict on the rape trial. Ibeleveher.
fair play to them. they stepped into the kindergarten and brought some order to the chaos. its unusual BCC giving out the freedom award to someone who isnt seen to be ‘owned’ by the unionists
@Patrick Sage: yeah bring more religion into the situation that’s what we need.
@Patrick Sage: “and God said to John, come forth and you will receive eternal life; John came fifth and won a toaster”
@Patrick Sage:
I see you there Patrick, having dirty thoughts about Mrs Murphy down in Clancy’s butchers, or dreaming about whats inside Mrs O Reilly’s nightdress from the post office. i bet you’re a right Pat Mustard
@Patrick Sage: Does the definition of sexually immoral include child-molesting priests and those who cover up for them?
@Patrick Sage: “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.”
So a man rapes a woman, he then buys her off her father, and then has to marry her…. Yeah following the Bible is as bad as following the church.
@Patrick Sage:
you speak of immorality, yet follow the fabrications laid down in a book of lies, the teachings of a mental megalomaniac.
at least clinton eventually owned up to his immorality, the bible will forever be right alongside the Qu’ran, Torah and Dianetics as books of subjugation, slavery and mind control
What an insult to the #metoo movement, a man who paid one woman $850, 000 to silence her sexual assault claim, and who took advantage of a young intern in the oval office and tried to ruin her life until he got caught out, and had to admit to his lies.
@JimmyMc: Stormy Daniels was it?
@Dotty Dunleary: No it was Arkansas state employee named Paula Jones who was paid off. But there are several other allegations against him. You can read them here, as well as his decision to lie under oath about Monica Lewinsky.
@JimmyMc: Amazing how 17 years later comments like these still exist in some peoples memories, yet Drumpf seems to be the Teflon President with a list of indiscretions that exceed Clinton’s, yet Drumpf still as yet hasn’t been impeached, maybe the supporters of the current president could explain?
@Dotty Dunleary: Compose yourself and start with the headline-
‘Belfast council votes to award BILL CLINTON freedom of the city’. They’re not awarding alleged sex- offender Donald Trump with the honour, they’re awarding alleged sex- offender BILL CLINTON with the honour.
@JimmyMc: According to the official statement BCS are awarding President Clinton for his services to peace in NI, maybe you need to get over the obsession with his sex life?
@Dotty Dunleary: As I said originally, awarding this honour to an alleged sex offender who bought one womans silence and lied under oath about another is an insult to women and the #metoo movement
Cool. Just make sure there are no young girls present when he receives his award.
@Pat Patovic: Or cigars…..
@G O’Rourke: Or that he would not try to present his cigar to some Belfast City council intern…
Shame on Belfast city council
Unbelievable ha
Whenever I hear the name “Clinton” I feel like vomiting.
- “it’s hoped that the award will be given on the 20th anniversary celebrations of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed on 10 April 1998″
Perhaps Bill can use his skill to get Stormont up and running again that day.
Shame on BBC.
@Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích: Shame or not, Bríde, they’ll probably screen it.
@Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích: What does the UK public broadcaster have to do with Belfast City Council?
@Bríde Ní Bheaglaoích: Sorry, missed your clarification.
I respect what he did for peace but nothing else.
@Ger Burke: No one cares.
@Philip G Roark: 8 likes so far means 8 people. You have none. You lose again. 8-0 this time.
@Ger Burke: I don’t have multiple accounts to vote for myself.
@Philip G Roark: You don’t have multiple people agreeing with you either haha
And the are ok with his womanising and attitude to women? Talk about double standards!
Lolita express , brought to you by G Eipstein …..
BCC. Typo above
Congrads Bill you were always on the ball with the NI position and denying sexual relations at the same time that entitles anyone Freedom of any City
Ha
Wot about Bertie and Tony….and Gerry ?
@Paul Sharpe: Might as well add George W Bush while your at it.
@Paul Sharpe: And the real architect, John.
I also believe they are throwing in a cigar for good measure.
BCC. Typo above
Lock up all females when he visits.
Pity Belfast City Council didn’t award Lennox the freedom of the city.
Never forgotten.
Next year he gets the freedom of port au prince as donated by the CGI….
Fair play to the DUP for voting for this.
Mothers lock up your daughters and fathers hide the cigars, Bill the man Clinton is roaming free in Belfast!
have your say