Rev Gary Dowd, rector at St Paul’s Church in Glenageary, Co Dublin, warmly remembered the late Bruce Arnold, characterising him as an individual of unwavering Christian faith, which constituted the foundation of his personality. A faithful member of the parish, Arnold persistently sought understanding from church teachings, stimulating Rev Dowd’s fear of inability to fulfil Arnold’s inquisitive nature. However, Arnold’s consistent geniality shone through.
Bruce Arnold, aged 87, departed on 2nd May and his funeral was organised at St Paul’s on a Monday afternoon. Throughout the ceremony, his grandchildren presented a recital of Louis MacNeice’s poem Dublin.
Hugo Arnold, Bruce’s son, portrayed his father as a man of many roles and talents – a relentless journalist, a novelist, an art connoisseur, a lover of music, dance, art, and literature. Yet writing was his genuine passion. Bruce found his beloved wife, Mavis (who passed away in 2017), at Trinity College Dublin. She provided him with the much-needed stability, happiness and companionship in his life, resulting in a strong team and a robust family orientation.
Polly Arnold spoke of her father as a remarkable individual and large personality. She described their mother as the ideal match for her father – caring, intelligent, wise and patient. She mentioned an arduous period in their father’s life when he faced accusations of being “anti-national and a British spy”. Rather than submitting to this, their father stood firm, resorting to legal proceedings alongside Geraldine Kennedy for violation of privacy. Their victory marked the downfall of Charles Haughey, she concluded.
The daughter of the late journalist and author Bruce Arnold has expressed memories of her father as being unique and his passing as marking the closure of a significant chapter. Mary Kenny, an esteemed journalist who recently completed her 80th lap around the sun, recollected in her tribute about the era when she, Mavis and Bruce, and their peers came into existence – an era bearing distinct imprints of the Victorian age.
Kenny reflected on their journey, highlighting events ranging from the John McCormack era to the era of Bambie Thug. She reminisced about the transformative period of the 1960s, and the aftermath of the Vatican II that led to a surge of ecumenical spirit in Ireland. This camaraderie was remarkably noted by John Horgan who made a colourful observation of there potentially being a shortage of Protestants for the increased unity between Catholics and Protestants in the West of Ireland.
In accusations of character, Kenny acknowledged Bruce and Mavis Arnold to be persons of high virtue and confessed her flawed character that complemented the holistic image of the Arnolds. According to her perspective, Arnold was a man of pure integrity, placing honesty atop his values. Furthermore, Arnold was ever faithful to his wife Mavis, making him one of the most uxorious men Kenny had ever encountered.
President Michael D Higgins was represented at the event by Col Stephen Howard, his aide-de-camp, joined by a substantial crowd of journalists including Vincent Browne, Kevin Myers, Martina Devlin, David Murphy, Sheila Wayman, and Philip Molloy. Notable attendees also included biographer Charles Lysaght, Independent Dublin city councillor Mannix Flynn, Barbara Fitzgerald, and Caroline Sweetman.
The funeral was concluded with Mr Arnold’s burial next to his wife, Mavis, within the cemetery of St Anne’s Church located in Knocknarea, Co. Sligo.