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Reeds funeral: mother of all parties

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Andrew Bushe

DUBLIN — Hell-raising actor Oliver Reed was given a fitting send off by his adopted community in Churchtown, Co. Cork, following his burial in the local churchyard on May 8

After people had paid their respects, the "mother of all parties" was held in a marquee.

Reed, who was 61, had moved to the Castle McCarthy former rectory with his wife, Josephine, in 1993.

Large crowds attended the funeral service in St. James Church in nearby Mallow and the mourners included film director Michael Winner, who directed him in his last film "Parting Shots," and the former Irish world snooker champion Alex "Hurricane" Higgins.

Despite his wild man image, Reed was very popular in North Cork, where he had supported many local charities.

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Though he had starred in "Oliver," "Women in Love", "The Three Musketeers" and about 50 other films, in Churchtown he was just a good neighbor and an entertaining drinking companion.

Reed’s brother Simon delivered the eulogy, describing him as a major talent who at one stage was the biggest screen star in Europe.

He said his brother did not just live life but attacked it. "For Oliver, life was a party," he said.

He was, he said of his brother, a "massively strong, incredibly strong, sometimes appalling, sometimes impossible, incredibly generous, hugely talented and quite unforgettable man.

"Rest in peace? — I don’t think so, tonight anyway."

Reed was in a Malta pub when he was taken ill and died of a heart attack. He had been filming a Steven Spielberg company production, "The Gladiators."

Among the many wreaths was one from the cast and crew of the movie and another from the taoiseach.

He was buried under a large beech tree within sight of one of his favorite pubs, O’Brien’s Bar.

May 26-June 1, 1999

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