Jon Kenny laid to rest as wife Margy gives thoughtful message to supporters
by Shauna Bannon Ward · RSVP LiveJon Kenny was laid to rest as his wife Margy gave a thoughtful message to his supporters.
The legendary comedian was battling cancer for the second time when he suffered a heart attack and later sadly passed away.
Many people gathered to pay their respects and say goodbye, including his fellow D’Unbelievables star Pat Shortt, President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Simon Harris.
Read more: D'Unbelievables star Jon Kenny’s loving marriage to wife Margy, Limerick home and cancer battle
Jon's wife Margy was very thankful for everyone who came to the funeral and who was there for their family since her husband’s death.
She said: “I just want to say a big thank you to everybody who has come here today, everybody who turned up last night and in the last few days.
“It's just kind of overwhelming, the outpouring of love for Jon that we felt everywhere and today, I feel it here so strong.”
She continued: “People loved Jon and that feeling was reciprocated. Jon just loved people. The thing I really loved about him and was really amazed by was how he loved people.
“Jon could come home late at night after doing a show or doing music and he would keep you up half the night telling you about some gorgeous people he was after meeting. He had such a fantastic time for everybody.”
Gift were brought to the altar during the funeral mass, including a guitar and poetry book representing Jon's love of the crafts, a Munster rugby and Limerick flag, and one of his wigs from over the years.
The Mary Wallopers and Sharon Shannon played traditional Irish music throughout the service.
Broadcaster John Creedon gave the eulogy and noted that Jon was a “remarkable man” - adding that even saying that was a “massive understatement”.
He added: “To say he was a remarkable man would be a massive understatement, the Irish word laoch, meaning warrior, crossed my mind a few times over the last few days.
“He came into life charging, good days as well as bad days, he battled on gamely.
“He was always Jon, he was never anything other than Jon and the show always went on.”
John shared a story of a time when the pair went to Prague in order to see Cork City play an away game, but Jon only brought a jockey hat he found in his car boot on the four day trip and wore it for the entire flight.
The radio presenter continued: “Jon, he sprinkled that laughing dust everywhere he went. They always say the clown is the most sensitive person in the circus, that's true, Jon had sensitivity.
“He brought compassion to all of his characters, in truth, Jon Kenny had compassion for all of us.
“It was that genuine depth of love and compassion for people that informed those remarkable performances and that remarkable life.”
Speaking to Jon’s family, he said: “You know full well how much he absolutely worshipped you.”
Before his passing, Jon enjoyed a three-month holiday in France with his wife Margy.
“I asked Jon if going to France was a good idea and he said sure it’s 20 degrees over there in October,” John said in his eulogy.
“He ended up having the best three months of his life. We only wished he could have enjoyed more of it.”
Jon had been working on a new stage show that featured his own poetry and prose.
“He texted me 'I’m definitely on the road to somewhere with these poems. I want to make a world the audience can enter with me. It’s not stand-up and it’s not a play. I don’t know what it is but I will when I find it',” John shared.