A viral video and US band The Killers have ensured that the late Ger 'Farmer' Foley got a global send-off following a typically Irish emotional gathering at Falvey's Pub in Killorglin last Thursday.
In the clip, Brian O'Sullivan, a friend of Ger, climbs on top of the pub bar to pay tribute in song to the 45-year-old father of two, who died last Monday week after a battle with cystic fibrosis.
Today Brian choked back tears on The Anton Savage Show on Today FM as he remembered his late friend and made an emotional appeal to members of the public to carry organ donor cards.
Brian said that Ger was a huge music fan and as sound engineer had worked with bands such as Bell X 1. He told Anton they sang Mr Brightside in the pub after Ger's funeral because they would have sung it every New Years Eve.
He admitted that he was blown away by the response to the video.
In the video O'Sullivan tells fellow mourners of his departed friend:
He is salt of the earth. He will never be replaced, but we will remember him forever in our lives. I have been doing this song for a few years but I haven't done it for a couple of years up on this counter, it is the most appropriate song that you could ever get for this man - it is Mr Brightside.
The video of the emotional rendition of The Killers' song subsequently went viral, and elicited a warm response from the band, who responded on Twitter, favourably comparing Brian O'Sullivan to the band's lead singer, Brandon Flowers.
"Brian O'Sullivan, if Brandon ever needs a fill-in, we're calling you! May we all have friends like this #farmersrule" they wrote, with a link to the video.
Brian O'Sullivan, if Brandon ever needs a fill-in, we're calling you! May we all have friends like this #farmersrule https://t.co/mENU0pGfHr
— The Killers (@thekillers) March 27, 2016
Brian also told Anton that the community in Killorglin, are hoping to raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis, and are campaigning for Brandon Flowers to come and play a charity gig in memory of his beloved late friend.
He also made an emotional appeal for people to carry a donor card, with Brian revealing that Ger had been lucky to have received a double lung transplant twelve years ago which allowed him start a family. Choking back tears he said that his two kids, Isobel and Peter were his legacy.
Details on how to get an organ donor card can be found here.
