The funeral of talented pianist Sean Shannon is taking place in Ennis, Co Clare this morning.
The 18-year-old self-taught musician, who featured in a RTÉ One documentary on the Royal Irish Academy of Music, died while on holiday in Slovenia last month.
Mr Shannon taught himself how to play on a toy piano and by watching Youtube videos.
As well as appearing on the Face The Music documentary series, which followed students and teachers at the RIAM, he also appeared on a 2021 episode of RTÉ's Nationwide and performed for President Michael D Higgins.
President Higgins paid tribute to Mr Shannon following his death, saying that he "exhibited a fantastic musical ability".
The 18-year-old was described as a gifted musician with "an extraordinary ability to breathe life into every note he played" at his funeral mass at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Ennis.
Mourners remembered his love of music and how it was a very big part of his life.
Symbols of his life brought forward included a music sheet and a piano concerto collection along with his bear, Charlie.
Father Tom Ryan spoke of the "gift" Sean brought into people's lives with his "music brilliance."
"He had the power to uplift hearts, to soothe souls and to remind us of beauty," he told the congregation.
He said Sean's gift of music was first identified in his school days and later nourished in Ennis Community College.
With the help and support of teachers and others, he said Sean was given every opportunity to develop that gift.
He described how his fingers danced effortlessly across the keyboard.
He said his sudden death serves as a reminder of how fragile life is and in his short 18 years he touched many lives which will endure "long after the music has faded".
