Mr Dunne left school early and met his wife Mary in 1972, marrying her in April 1973. He recalled how his father had gone to school in the Presentation Brothers in Cork City and how he used to boast about having left school without failing a single exam but only, his son explained, “because he never did an exam”. He thanked staff at the hotel in Dubai where his father collapsed, and the first responders and medical teams as well as the Irish ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Alison Milton. “This is a funeral he must attend and even though he didn’t like funerals he would be glad to see how many people are here today,” Mark Dunne said. He explained to mourners that his father “never liked going to funerals” but would always insist on a “full report” from those that his son went to. Mr Dunne’s son Mark, who was with his father when he died in Dubai on November 18th, welcomed the congregation and paid tribute to his “brilliant and loving” father. Margaret Heffernan, sister of Ben Dunne, at his funeral.
