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Van Morrison's mother laid to rest following funeral service in east Belfast

The funeral takes place of Violet Morrison, mother of Van Morrison, in east Belfast. Picture by Arthur Allison, Pacemaker Press.
The funeral takes place of Violet Morrison, mother of Van Morrison, in east Belfast. Picture by Arthur Allison, Pacemaker Press. The funeral takes place of Violet Morrison, mother of Van Morrison, in east Belfast. Picture by Arthur Allison, Pacemaker Press.

THE mother of singer Van Morrison has been buried following a funeral service in east Belfast.

Violet Morrison, who was in her 90s, died last Tuesday in a private nursing home in Holywood, and was buried on Monday at Redburn Cemetery in the town.

The funeral service was held in St Donard's Parish Church, Bloomfield, where she married her husband George in 1941.

The church also featured in two of Van Morrison's songs - On Hyndford Street and Beside You.

Several of Van Morrison's songs, including On Hyndford Street, were listed in the order of service for the funeral.

In 2010, Mrs Morrison performed with her grand-daughter, Van Morrison's daughter Shana, at Belfast's Black Box, when she sang a rendition of He's Got the Whole World In His Hands.

Van Morrison, her only child, postponed two concerts in Germany and flew home to finalise arrangements.

Violet and her husband, who died in 1998, moved to the United States in the 1970s and ran the Caledonia Records shop in Fairfax, California.

They also ran a similar shop in Belfast when they returned to Northern Ireland.