The chapel was full with dignitaries, including Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D Higgins, family, friends and locals.
Also there, the current RC Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan.
For many, it was somewhat ironic that Edna had come back to this parish and its church considering that back in 1960, from the pulpit in this parish church, its then parish priest ordered her book - The Country Girls - to be burned - an act which was carried out on the church grounds.
However, just up the road, in the parish of Scarriff, the priest there, Fr John Kelly spoke out against such censorship (effected by the Censorship Board) and this in face of criticism from such 'moral guardians' as Archbishop John Charles McQuaid who termed it as (quote) 'a smear on Irish womanhood' (unquote), and that other great guardian and upholder of morals in Ireland, Charlie Haughey, who referred to it as filth and that it should not be inside any decent home.
With those words alone, no doubt Charlie had his own copy so.
One must remember that in Ireland back in those days, it only took 2 people to object for a book to be banned, and there has always been a strong suspicion that the then-Bishop Of Killaloe, Joseph Rodgers (from just up the road in Scarriff), was instructed by McQuaid to be an objector.
No doubt he was beaten to that by others who were so 'morally-minded' to object, but nonetheless object he did - as per order of McQuaid.
Ironically enough, by such actions, the RC church probably ensured her place in modern Irish - and international - literary circles.
Her books were certainly part of the English literature course in one Irish seminary up to its recent closure, and in the light of Pope Francis' recent pronouncements in relation to literature, maybe her writings could now form part of clerical studies in seminaries.
And now we return to where we started with Edna and her return home for her funeral in St Josephs Church....with three priests and a bishop above on the altar and the President of Ireland in the front row.
A President who, in 2015, effectievly apologised to Edna for the treatment meted out to her in those early heady days of the 1960's by the Irish State....Higgins made an official apology for the scorn often heaped on O'Brien in Ireland, and the banning of her books, characterizing her as a 'fearless teller of truth' who, he said, had continued to write 'undaunted, sometimes by culpable incomprehension, authoritarian hostility and sometimes downright malice'.
He followed this up on 15th September 2015, by conferring her with (quote) the symbolic Torc that signifies of course excellence of their craft but, above all else, the high esteem in which they are held by their peers.' (unquote)
He continued....(quote) Edna O’Brien has been and continues to be a fearless teller of truths, a celebrant of life´s mysteries with their moments of beauty rescued from repression and the price of contradictions inherited and continued, the darkness as it is delivered, and defeated. She has continued to write, undaunted by culpable incomprehension, authoritarian hostility and sometimes downright malice. She has had the courage always to pursue the truth of the fit and the wonder between life and words in perfect works of art. In more than 20 books now, with Ireland and Irishness always in the background, she has striven to give us ‘the beauty and sorrow of the larger world‘.
Eimear McBride, writing recently in The Irish Times, spoke of falling in love with ‘the deep, beautiful humanity of her prose and the incautious honesty of her portrayal of the Irish female experience’. That is well put, and mirrors the reactions of so many of us here today whom, I imagine, have been both captivated, and instructed by Edna O´Brien´s books and have had our sense of humanity enlarged and deepened.
Among her many, many awards Ms. O´Brien can number The European Literature Prize, the American National Arts Gold Medal for Lifetime Contribution and the Writers Guild of Great Britain Best Novel Award. Today, she receives yet another honour, but this time at home, among her own, and by decision of her own peers, the honour of being named a Saoi of Aosdána. (unquote)
These words were somewhat echoed - in what must have been an uncomfortable moment for Fintan as Bishop of Killaloe - by (a courageous) Fr Donagh O'Meara when he rightly stated that Edna was indeed (quote) “a speaker of the truth” who “held up a mirror for us in a very narrow time in Ireland”. (unquote)
As we here in CW watched Fr O'Meara, no doubt we were of the same mind as those also watching, as to whether or not Fintan would formally stand up, and apologise for the wrongs perpetrated against Edna by his episcopal predecessor and one of the parish priests who in effect, led the lynch mob out of that same church over 60 years ago, and lit the bonfire of her books on same said church grounds.
1960's Ireland was not a place for women, and certainly not for women the like of O'Brien who dared to raise the pen and write the truth of real 1960's Ireland of Magdalene Institutions and Launderettes as opposed to the 1960's mirage of De Valera and the comely maidens dancing at the crossroads.
And Fr O'Meara must be quoted as follows......“We didn’t thank her for it. Like a lot of prophetesses of the past, we undermined her, we isolated her and rejected her message and she must have deeply felt that,” he said.
“Because when you stand out at any moment, at any time, you find yourself isolated quite quickly. And we did that. And that is to our shame as a society and as a church.
“That is to our shame.” (unquote)
All we can say to Fr O'Meara is well done - pastoral, honest, real and pertinent words.
Regrettably you will never make bishop for saying these words, but at least you have the courage of your Christ and faith to be so honest and pastoral in so doing.
There were many there, 2 of our own included, who were pleasently surprised to hear such honesty in the presence of you Fintan, and indeed how refreshing it was to be there when it was said so honestly.
And that is the part that made us reflect on this Fintan - it was said in your presence - not by you.
Will you now reflect on the wrongs visited upon Edna all those years ago, and consider issuing an apology after all these years?
Or will you cower behind history etc and make some claim or other about it not being an issue etc etc?
We are well aware of your issue with the truth, so we do not expect anything to happen from you in that regard, but if one of your priests can do it Fintan, why can't you?