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Seamus Heaney's blacksmith muse Barney Devlin laid to rest

The remains of Co Derry blacksmith Barney Devlin (96) are carried by family and friends to Requiem Mass at St John's Chapel, Milltown 
The remains of Co Derry blacksmith Barney Devlin (96) are carried by family and friends to Requiem Mass at St John's Chapel, Milltown  The remains of Co Derry blacksmith Barney Devlin (96) are carried by family and friends to Requiem Mass at St John's Chapel, Milltown 

MOURNERS at the funeral of south Derry blacksmith Barney Devlin, made famous by the works of Seamus Heaney, paused for a minute silence at the 96-year-old's former forge made famous by the Nobel laureate.

The Co Derry man, who died on Thursday, was immortalised by his neighbour poet, Heaney making his old forge near Bellaghy a popular tourist attraction.

Several hundred people attended Requiem Mass for the father-of-nine at the Church of St John, Milltown before he was buried in the adjoining cemetery alongside his late wife Margaret, known as Peg.

The great grandfather's death last week was announced by ‘The Poetry House’ which was established in Bellaghy to celebrate Heaney’s work, with tributes paid by poetry lovers from across the globe.

In 'The Forge,' Heaney wrote of his boyhood wonder of the mystery of Devlin’s forge. He returned to the forge in 2006 in 'The Midnight Anvil'.

Fr Andy Dolan said the family had asked that the liturgy be reflective of the "unassuming man that Barney was".

"The past week has given the Devlin family time to reflect on the journey that was their father's and their journey with him; and that time of reflection was a kind of a celebration of his life", said Fr Dolan.

"Barney was not just a treasure for you as family, not just for us in this place but a national and dare I say it an international treasure.

"I really like the line, 'isn’t it a pity Seamus Heaney is not around he could have found the words to say it; the wordsmith paying tribute once again to the blacksmith'.

"The great poet has given such value and insight into the ordinary of life; things we take for granted; he made those simple things so profound and I suppose he made the profound so simple as he wrote about the forge and some of what went on there, as embodied in Barney and his father before him.

"The forge always had a life of its own in the community.

"The life of the man we celebrate, and whom we commend to his waiting God was far from one dimensional, he could turn hand or dare I say foot to a lot of things.

"Ours is to salute a father, grandfather, great grandfather, a neighbour, a friend and an associate with many people", Fr Dolan added.