Cork man who queued for three hours to pay respects to Pope Francis describes experience as 'great privilege'

A Cork man, who queued for three hours to pay respects to the late Pope Francis, has said that it was an honour to say goodbye to a man he “deeply admired”.

Diarmuid O’Dálaigh, who is the owner of Oaklodge Nursing Home in Churchtown, appeared on the Neil Prendeville show on Friday morning to discuss his experience at the Vatican.

Mr O’Dálaigh, who was accompanied by his two teenage sons, said that they had only just heard the news of the pope’s death before heading off on holidays.

“We queued up on Wednesday night after we arrived – it seemed like a mile long of a queue coming from small streets [in the Vatican area], so we joined one of those and as we came nearer to the Vatican, there were three or four more lines that came together in St Peter’s Square,” said Mr O’Dálaigh.

“It just seemed like a mass of people – we had no idea how long we'd be there; we couldn't see out over the people to see whether they were moving or not.

“It [was] at a standstill for quite an extended period of an hour to an hour and a half but eventually they started leaving about 200 people in at a time.

“We got in then and it was a great privilege for us - Pope Francis [was] a man we deeply admired," he added.

“He was an honest man, a very frank man and he seemed to be everything that we admire in a leader, he seemed to hold it all in one.

“The atmosphere was quite subdued and reverential, [but also] kind of joyous – Francis brought the best out in people – there wasn't any pushing or anything like that.

“We were very close to the coffin - [but] you couldn't put your hand on it - it was a very simple box, a little bit like a wicker box, which speaks volumes about the man himself.

“I believe we will be talking about him for 100 years or more - he brought something very special to that role.”