THE funeral of showband legend Dickie Rock has taken place in Dublin today.
The 88-year-old, from Cabra, died on December 6.
His funeral was held at the Church of the Most Precious Blood in Cabra West this morning, where his coffin was carried inside while his hit song Come Back to Stay played.
The remains of Dickie Rock arrive for hisfuneral at the Church of the Most Precious Blood in Cabra, DublinPresident Michael D Higgins was among hundreds of mourners who turned our for the Mass, which was celebrated by Rock’s friend, Father Brian D’Arcy, who was assisted by Father Paul Thornton.
A microphone and a photo of Rock with his beloved wife Judy, who died in 2022, were among the gifts placed on the altar during the ceremony.
Hundreds of mourners turned out for the funeral this morningAlso in attendance were Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and broadcasters Joe Duffy, Ronan Collins and Aonghus McAnally.
Singers Finbar Furey and Adele King, better known as Twink, were also there to pay their respects.
Born in Dublin on October 10, 1936, Rock first found fame in the 1960s as a member of the Miami Showband before embarking on a successful solo career.
(l-r) Former Manager of Dickie Rock, George Hunter pictured with fellow Miami Showband member Murty Quinn,Rowland Soper, Joe Duffy and Aonghus McAnally at the funeral this morningAfter joining the Miami Showband in 1963, the group scored several No. 1 hits in Ireland, beginning with a cover of Elvis Presley’s There’s Always Me.
Another of the band’s hits, 1967’s To Whom It Concerns, would become the signature tune of long-running Irish talk show, The Late Late Show.
Hundreds paid their respects to the showband legend todayWhile still with the band, Rock represented Ireland as a solo artist at Eurovision 1966 in Luxembourg, finishing joint fourth with the song Come Back to Stay, which topped the Irish charts.
Despite leaving the group in 1973 to start a solo career, Rock continued to perform occasionally with the Miami Showband.
Rock’s last No. 1 in Ireland was a cover of John Denver’s Back Home Again, which spent four weeks at the top of the charts in 1977.
Predeceased by his wife Judy, Rock leaves behind his children Jason, John, Richard, Sarah Jane and Peter.