Noel Cassidy from Longford was the country boy who sang his heart out over the years. And when news broke last week of his death following a brain haemorrhage, a great sadness descended on the midlands.

Noel (62) was a true cultivator of the country genre and always nurtured the roots. He fronted the Wagon Masters band back in the late 1970s. “There was a great scene out there in those times,” he told me three years ago ahead of a reunion night in Arva. “Between the dance halls and carnivals and dates over in England, it was a hectic time for all in the band scene. People nowadays wonder how we managed to organise things so well back then without mobile phones and internet. I remember in the 1970s when we did not have a landline phone at home. I booked a whole English tour of a few weeks from the public phonebox in Ballinalee.

His neighbour, Mick Flavin, who performed a number of songs at the funeral Mass in Ballinamuck Church on Sunday afternoon, said: “Noel had a great country voice. I don’t think he was ever fully appreciated for how good he was as a country singer. He recorded over 10 country albums and released two video albums. He idolised Big Tom.

“There’s a story about the time Noel was over in America and he hired out a big car and was clipping it nicely heading down the motorway. He was stopped by a big burly policeman who came up to the window and said: ‘I’ve been waiting for you all morning.’ Noel’s reply brought a smile to the policeman: ‘If I had known that, sure I’d have been here quicker!’” When the policeman asked Noel where he was from and he said he was over from Ireland, they had a big chat and laugh as the policeman’s ancestors were all from Ireland. The speeding fine was forgotten about and both were left with memories to cherish.”

Only five weeks earlier, Noel travelled to Prague for a bedside vigil for his son David (31) who was seriously ill after suffering a brain aneurism while holidaying in the city. He underwent life-saving surgery and has made a good recovery.

Ballinamuck Church was packed to capacity for the funeral Mass on Sunday with another few hundred people sitting and standing in the sunshine outside.

Fr Ber Cassidy said Noel’s life revolved around country music and story-telling. “Music was his passion and while he had other interests too, none of them were to the same extent as the music.

His son David, fully recovered after his own health ordeal, related many stories that drew big smiles and hearty laughs from the congregation. In a wonderful tribute, he said his father was a legend who had friends in many parts of Ireland and England.

“Deep down he was a really big softie. About six weeks ago I had an aneurism on the brain and the other night after daddy passed away I was checking my emails, something I hadn’t had a chance to do before then. An email came up from Noel at 1am on April 27 and it read: ‘Howya now David, a lot of calls and prayers for you; each day you will be getting better so hang in. I will see you on Sunday, until then may God bless you. I love you always, Dad xxx’.That brought tears to my eyes. He was a terrific person.”

Before the coffin left the church, Big Tom sang The Land Where We Never Grow Old and You’re Going Out The Same Way You Came. Members of the local Fr Manning Gaels GAA Club formed a large guard of honour and the cortege was led by the Texas Sherriff’s police car that Noel brought in from America some years ago.

Noel is survived by his wife Mary; sons David, Paul, Martin, Cian; brothers Joe and Patsy; sisters-in-law, Anne, Breege and Rosaleen; mother-in-law Katie; the extended family, neighbours and legion of friends.