IRELAND OLD NEWS

The Freeman's Journal, 12 February 1880, page 3

The Late Mr. James Macken

Yesterday the remains of this old and honoured citizen were laid in their last resting-place in Glasnevin, with all the respect that was so eminently due to a man who had won for himself so high a place in the esteem of the troop of friends amongst whom his genial presence had been so long familiar.  Mr. Macken had attained to the venerable age of 82 years; passing the period allotted to most of us, and preserved to the last the full possession of all those faculties that helped to gan for him his high position in the social and mercantile life of the city of his adoption.  He was born in the ancestral home of his family near Drogheda, but he and his parents had to leave it before he reached maturity, because of the iniquitous land laws that then oppressed the Catholic tenantry, and left them little better than helots in the land.  It can scarcely be wondered that with such a reality before his eyes, Mr. Macken should have been, from the opening of his manhood, an earnest and enthusiastic patriot, and should have entered with all the energy and warmth of his heart into the struggles which O'Connell was making and continued to make for the social and political emancipation of his oppressed fellow countrymen.  He was a member of the Catholic Association, and was constant in his attendance at its meetings.  He was no less zealous in the great agitation for Repeal, and was ever ready with his purse and with his personal services to prove his loyalty to the good cause and his devoted attachment to his Illustrious Liberator.  In religion he was a Catholic to the soul, but was always kindly and friendly with those who worshipped their God according to the rules of different creeds.  He was a generous friend to all Catholic charities, and was an open-handed contributor to the erection of many of those noble temples of worship and refuges of charity that he saw rise into beauty and magnificence in Dublin within the long years of his active and useful life.  In commercial circles in our city he was esteemed as an honourable and upright merchant, and was especially respected in all the branches of the corn trade, of whose exchange he was the senior member.  In trade matters his advice was constantly sought for, inasmuch as it was always known to be sound, solid, safe and sensible.  He was interred yesterday with all the honours which his religion and which friendship could pay him, and the vast concourse that were present at the solemn ceremonial was irresistible evidence of the wide and affectionate regard in which his merits were held.  It constituted as well the best tribute of sympathy which his friends could offer to his family in their bereavement-a tribute in which we need hardly say we heartily join.

On the cortege reaching the new gate of Glasnevin Cemetery, the coffin, which was literally covered with snow white camellias, was borne to the Mortuary Chapel.  It was followed by the four sons-Michael, James, Patrick and Edward; Messrs. John Barlow, William J. Smith, P. J. McEvoy, and Bernard Rispin, sons-in-law of the deceased.  There were also many of the grandsons of the deceased as chief mourners.

The coffin was of massive polished oak, and on its plate it bore the words-"JAMES MACKEN, died 9th February, 1880. Aged 82 years."  Over the grave, as the coffin was lowered, the "De Profundia" and Miserere were intoned and chanted by the Rev Nicholas Donnelly, Rev James Leahy, P. P.; Rev M Barry, P P; Rev Mr Hickey, P P; Rev Canon Doyle, P P; Rev Mr. O'Malley, C C; Rev Mr Burke, O C; Rev Mr. Moore, P P; Rev Mr. Hunt, Rev Mr. Duff, Rev Mr. Shinnors, O S A; and Rev Mr. Warren.  Amongst the immense concourse of gentlemen attending the funeral we noticed the following:-

Very Rev Canon Doyle, P P; Rev Jno Moore, P P; Rev N Donnelly, Adm; Rev T Jones, C C; Rev P Duff, C C; Rev J W Hunt, C C; Edw S Costello, Carrick-on-Shannon; Ernest Roe, Mountrath; Abraham Shackleton, T C; J Pim, jun; John M Green, J Fleming, T C; P R Norton, H J Gill, T C; Thomas Synnott; J P; Alderman Tarpey, James Corcoran, Mayor Grace, John Lawlor, Thomas V Ryan, Joseph Ryan, Michael Murphy, jun; George Whittaker, M D; J K Barry, Thomas Keogh, J Keogh; S. Smalldridge, Arthur Hughes, W J Cuthbert, J L Blake, M W Mooney, Jospeh Fitzpatrick, John Lawlor, W B Walker, Jno Halligan, Mr. Murphy, Edward Nolan, Michael Crooke, James Tyrrell, Robert Neil, John Mooney, Philip McMahon, J P; Walter Brown, Alfred Sothern, James Rourke, John D Mooney, R R Grady, James Crowly, James M Macken, M McDonough, R Eustace, M D; E McDonald, P McGarry, Thomas Freeman, Laurance Dunne, P L G; A J Haughton, Wm Kobler Scott, Bartholomew Andrews, Robert Bell, Jas F Meldon, John Beedem, Daniel Black, John Casey, Joseph Donnelly, Thomas Farrell, R H A; Samuel Watson, Peter Farrell, William Anderson, &c.

Submitted by Ant Macken

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