Hundreds pay last respects to prominent city businessman

Date Published: 30-Jun-2009

THE funeral of one of the city’s best known businessmen, Ray Rooney, took place yesterday.

Hundreds packed into the Church of the Sacred Heart in the Westside to pay their last respects to the man who was as well known for his love of horseracing as for his business and involvement with charitable organisations, namely Croi, the West of Ireland Cardiology Foundation, of which he had been chair.

Mr Rooney, from Kingston, died in the new cardiology unit at University Hospital Galway – which was built with funds from Croi.

Mr Rooney suffered a massive stroke on Wednesday from which he never recovered and died at the hospital in the early hours of Saturday.

He started his auctioneering company in 1966 and he had continued to work there with his son Ronan, who became the first chartered surveyor in general practice in Galway in the early Nineties.

Mr Rooney was also a..