Legendary Inishowen musician and teacher Dinny McLaughlin (Whiteharra) was laid to rest today following a rich musical celebration of his life and legacy.
The fiddle maestro of Shandrum, Buncrana, was honoured with a touching send-off at St Mary’s Cockhill, with music performed by many whose gifts and talents he nurtured.
Dinny, who passed away at the age of 89, was credited by Parish Priest, Fr Francis Bradley, as a “great tradition bearer”.
Born on 28th April 1935, Dinny was the youngest of six children born to James and Mary McLaughlin (née McCarron).
“While money was scarce and luxuries few, Dinny’s quick eye and keen ear meant he gathered the lore and the melodies he saw and heard in his day,” said Fr Bradley.
Local fiddler Pat Mulhern of Fallask planted the melodic seeds within Dinny from a young age, and he desperately wanted a fiddle from the age of 6.
“Through Dinny Whiteharra and Pat Mulhern, a whole revival of music and dance, language and culture took place in this part of Inishowen,” said Fr Bradley.
Dinny was a revered teacher across Inishowen, travelling to national schools and schools of music to impart his knowledge and develop talent.
He produced a “harvest of talent” and among his famous pupils are Jimmy Mc Bride, Ciaran Tourish, Liz Doherty, Mairead Mooney, Michael Carey, Teresa Mc Clure (nee Doherty), Brenda Barron, Roisin Mc Grory (nee Harrigan).
A tribute from Dinny’s niece, Rose Lynch, the daughter of his eldest sister Katie, was also read to mourners.
The tribute celebrated Dinny as a man who was “so generous with his time and patience” and also a man who was a “hard work taskmaster, but in a positive way”.
“Dinny instilled confidence and discipline with a contemplative spirit which we all benefitted from in our adult lives. I believe Dinny made a significant difference and enriched the lives of many young children throughout the sixties and seventies.”
“As a teacher, he was strict and demanding,” Fr Bradley added in his Homily. “For he knew that he had to draw out the treasure he could see within.
“St Oran’s School of Dancing Buncrana and Carndonagh, St Mary’s School of Dancing Castlefinn, Comhaltas Craobh na hÍnse, fiddle, whistle, flute, piano, guitar, pipes, harp, accordion, melodeon, concertina, feiseanna, fleadhs, sessions and more, all meeting and moments and memories of this man who became the Pied Piper of Shandrum.”
Fr Bradley, reflecting on the complexities of Dinny’s life, honoured his qualities with a powerful summation: “Dinny McLaughlin Whiteharra – a man with the mind of a genius, the heart of a lion, the eye of a sniper, the ear of a fox, the fingers of a surgeon, the feet of a ballerina, and yes, the soul of a priest.”
Mr McLaughlin was laid to rest in the adjoining cemetery.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis
