A late Father Ted fanatic is being given the ultimate send-off as TedFest prepares to host its first-ever funeral ceremony in his honour.
Musician Norman Coates had been a stalwart of the popular Father Ted festival, playing a key role in organising the annual, four-day carnival and hosting many of the madcap events.
Following the 70-year-old's untimely death last August after a short illness, his family and close pals agreed it would be fitting to celebrate his life with a suitably madcap funeral service at the upcoming TedFest on the Aran islands.
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And true to the zany spirit of the yearly homage to all things Father Ted, the Belfast native's funeral ceremony will take centre-stage at next month's festival, where part of Norman's ashes will be transported in a Swan Vesta matchbox to a miniature Viking longboat, following which they will be set on fire and set out to sea.
Peter Millar, a close friend of Norman and a long-standing Tedfest organiser and fellow musician, said: "Norman was the funniest person I ever met. This year's festival won't be the same without him, and he'll be missed by me, the team at Tedfest and all the regular festival-goers.
"But we're going to give him a wonderful send-off and I'll be delivering a eulogy, which will be modelled on the hilarious talks and lectures he used to give at the festival every year."
Members of Norman's family, including his wife Liz and son David, are also making the pilgrimage to this year's festival for the first time.
David said: "I've never been to Tedfest, but of course I heard so much about it from my father. It was an addiction that drew him back every year. He loved the festival, and was involved in so much there over the years, from refereeing the Craggy Cup football matches, to running quizzes and much more.
"So it's going to be very strange for us to be going over there without him, and it'll be emotional for us too, as well as being comical. We had a funeral service for my father in August, but it's great that he's getting another send-off. And this one is certainly the kind of one he'd have wanted."
Meanwhile, organisers have assured fans that the usual selection of events will be on offer at this year's festival, including Ted's Got Talent, The Craggy Cup, The Priests' Dance-off and the Lovely Girls Competition.
Tedfest 2023 takes place from March 2 to March 5 on Inishmore. For further information, check out www.tedfest.org
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