'This one's for you, Mary' - Patrick Kielty pays an emotional tribute to his late mum during RTE Late Late Show

Patrick Kielty paid a tearful tribute to his late mother, Mary Kielty, during RTE's Late Late Show St. Patrick's Day special on Friday evening.

An emotional Kielty thanked fans for their support and said some of the messages meant a lot to both him and his family.

Mary Kielty passed away peacefully just hours after Patrick hosted the Late Late Show last Friday night.

"We lost my mother last week," said an emotional Kielty fighting back tears. "I would just like to thank everyone who looked after her and who looked after our family this week.

"My mum never missed The Late Late Show - she even kept watching after I got the gig," he joked.

"I couldn't be prouder - this one is for you Mary - welcome to the Late, Late Show," said Kielty as the studio audience applauded him and cheered him on.

Patrick, along with his brothers, laid his mother to rest in Co. Down earlier this week.

The grief-stricken star looked visibly upset when he arrived at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Dundrum, Co. Down, to help carry his mother’s coffin alongside his brothers John and Cahal.

Patrick's brother, John, told mourners at the Church of the Sacred Heart about the impact of losing husband Jack when he was shot dead by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) in 1988 had on his mother.

“Now the best day of her happened early in 1970 and I was born,” he said to an eruption of laughter.

“Further attempts at girls resulted in Paddy in 1971 and Cahal in 1977.

“Now 1970s in Ireland associated with the darkness days of the Troubles.

“Our memories are different. We had a brilliant childhood. We had the beach, the school, the castle and the football field a few hundred yards, and summer holidays in Wexford.

“What was there not to like? As a stay-at-home housewife, Mary was a brilliant mother. Between his day job and bands and dances at night, daddy was never there, and mammy took us everywhere.

“I assumed that daddy started us off playing football, but Mary did, taking us and half of Dundrum to matches in the car.

“He (daddy) jumped on later on when he discovered when we might be half good at it.

“Mary’s life changed in 1988, when daddy was killed. Left with three sons, 18 and under, it was a real bad hand of cards.

“But she got a job at a school and got involved in the football club. She even managed to become chairperson, and she got the three of us reared.

“The 1990s brought grandchildren. They gave her a new lease of life. She became granny Kielty and now as well as her three sons that could do no wrong, she also had seven grandchildren who all loved her and could do no wrong either.”

Mary Kielty was buried in the cemetery of the Immaculate Conception, Aughlisnafin.

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