Dan was born in 1937 at Station House on Railway Road in Buncrana, where his father was Station Master. He was the youngest of five- he had one brother and three sisters.
Dan was “driving” aged seven, when the lorry drivers at the station sat him on a box on the lorry seat. He attended the local boys school and was an altar server and later attended Christian Brothers College. From age 16 to 21 he was apprenticed to the Lough Swilly bus garage, where the best advice from his boss was “measure twice and cut once.”
Dan loved dancing, singing, stock car racing, machinery, any vehicle, in any condition! He loved sailing, fishing, golf, vintage bus restoration and shooting and was a sharp shot.
He was a total abstinence pioneer all his life and served in many Guards of Honour while a member of the FCA, including the opening of Desertegney Church by Bishop Farren.
He met Mary in October 1962 and they married the following October on her 21stBirthday. His three girls teased him endlessly, telling him he wasn’t romantic, didn’t buy flowers for Mary or tell her he loved her. He said “listen girls, I told her once and any change, I will let her know.”
Dan never complained while his health deteriorated and would say “it could be worse.”
Mary and family and Dan’s sisters Alice and Joan wish to thank everyone for your kindness in so many ways.
We invite you to join us to celebrate the life of Daniel Francis Kiernan
Funeral
Date: 14/08/2021Additional Info:
Dan's funeral mass will be streamed live to this Memorial page on 14/08/21 at 11am. Go to the following link to watch the service live or later if you miss it:
www.churchservices.tv/Cockhill
A video of Dan’s requiem mass which took In London on Wednesday 11th August has also been posted onto this memorial page under "video". It contains an embedded link which means you simply need to click the play symbol. Allow some time for the content to load. You adjust volume levels etc in the normal way.
Additional Info:
Dan's family would like to thank his family and friends for all their support. Donations to Marie Curie would be greatly appreciated in lieu of flowers. Please see link at the bottom of this page to donate.
Your donation will be much appreciated and will ensure other patients and their families continue to benefit from this wonderful service in their time of need.
Hi Mary.Anne,Irene and Linda and extended family
Dan and Gerry had been friends for 60years plus when dad died and they had some craic. Mum and Mary had no choice to be friends and thankfully they they have had each other through the years. We have so many fond memories of Dan who was an absolute gentleman and such a fun character. He never said much but when he did there was always a great one liner. Our two families have been friends growing up and as we all met over the wake and funeral it was like we had only seen each other last week that is what friendship is about. We all send our love and condolences… And Gerry and Dan are partying in heaven Love bridgid and all the family xoxo
2016 Visit
“How’s young Friel?”
When we’d meet he’d say,
Be it at the house,
Or at home or away,
Vexed him wan time when I happened to call,
When I asked what happened to his lovely front wall,
Surrounded himself with good company,
The Boss Aunty Mary Linda Anne and Irene,
Meister of Machinery be it boat bus or van,
But to us we just knew him as Uncle Dan the Man.
Dear Mary, Anne, Irene, Linda and all the family. We have just watched Dan’s funeral in Buncrana and have been with you all in thought and prayer. It was a privilege to have been with our cousin Dan so recently and we will never forget that lovely smile he had that day. At difficult times such as these, take comfort in the words of Albert Einstein, who like Dan was another great engineer and philosopher. He said “ We do not die as we live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are us.” Dan’s humour, kindness and generosity of spirit will be forever remembered. With love from Anna and Bob Vogel, Ian, Sally, Jessica and all the extended Vogel and Mitchell family.
Mary, Irene, Linda and Anne we are so very sorry on the passing of Dan. He was a kind gentleman and always had a smile. We are sorry we are not there at this time. God bless you all xx
Thinking on yourself Mary at this very sad time, as well of course as Anne, Irene, Linda and the extended family. Dan will be surely missed. He was always in good humour with stories to tell. Thinking on you all bringing my Uncle Dan home tomorrow to his resting place in Donegal.
Evelyn, Micky and Lucy.xo
Thinking of you all today Mary after watching Dan’s Mass in London.Always happy and smiling and was one of life’s gentlemen. Will be solely missed by all
Dan and Mary Kiernan became our first and are our longest friends and neighbours in Twyford Avenue. Dan helped us on several occasions when our elderly cars were in trouble, and reassured us that it was possible to mend them! We have watched their wonderful girls grow up and know them as a lovely, loving and caring family who will support each other over Dan’s passing. A tribute to him. Dan, may you rest in peace in the beautiful place of your birth.
So sorry to hear about Dan’s passing, a true gentleman and great fun always. Our sincerest sorrow
What a beautiful tribute to our lovely Dan. So, so sorry for you all to suffer his huge loss. We remember him so fondly and will miss all his little knocks on our door in Buncrana. His easy going nature telling us old stories about the Drift Inn, working with buses, teaching us about stranagor stream aswell as the huge Irish welcome he’d always give us and the boys on our many visits to London.
His gentle nature, good humour, kindness and generosity will never be forgotten.
Sending you all so much love and strength to help you make his final journey back home.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon xxx
Dear Mary, Ann, Irene, Linda & all the family, we have just watched Dan’s lovely Requiem Mass from your local church in Acton. Our thoughts will be with you over the next few days, as you make the journey to Buncrana and back to London. Sorry we can’t be with you in person.
Sad to hear of Dan’s passing. Sorry cannot be there to join in prayers in London or in Buncrana. Will be thinking of him and Mary, Anne, Irene and Linda and all the family.
Sending our love to you Mary, Irene, Anne, Linda and extended family.
Dan will be really missed by us all , he was one of a kind,that we had the privilege to call our uncle.
And I got the extra bonus of my godfather.
May he rest in peace .
Love Andrea Johnpaul & girl’s
Fond memories of Dan on all our time we spent together.
You will be missed.
Seamus and Eileen
So sorry to hear of Dans death always up for a laugh ,just read the tributes Mary he didn’t have to tell you he loved you everyone knew great memories for you all ,think of the happy times ,my he rest in peace ,
Uncle Dan, always smiling. Such a gentleman He was delighted to drive us on our wedding day, in his brand new Jaquar, but was too slow with the umbrella in the pouring rain, so I ran off without him and sheltered Jason instead
Thinking of you Auntie Mary and family. RIP Dan xx
Always a gentleman, with a kind word or joke for everyone. Always smiling, always with a story. Thinking of you Auntie Mary, Ann, Irene & Linda and families at this time. I will miss him.
Rest In Peace Uncle Dan
So sorry to hear of Uncle Dan’s passing. Maybe he will give Mark a shout up there! See you soon x
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud
BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.