Crowe pays homage to pinting pal Harris with a footie-song requiem

Gordon Deegan - 2 October 2006

Irish Independent

(c) 2006 Independent Newspapers Ireland Ltd

THEY shared a passion for acting, rugby and pubs.

But it was their love of nights out that brought Richard Harris and Russell Crowe together.

Speaking at the emotional unveiling of a bronze statue of Harris on Saturday, Crowe recalled the first time the hellraising duo met, when they were filming the epic movie Gladiator.

"Richard told me: 'There is a good night out in you; I think I am going to like you'," said Crowe at the unveiling in Kilkee, Co Clare.

He revealed that while Harris was ill in hospital, they made a pact to attend the Ireland vs Australia match in 2002 together. However, Harris died weeks before the match.

After Harris's death, Crowe travelled to Ireland "to pay homage to a friend" by visiting many of his friend's old haunts.

Explaining how he came to write a song dedicated to Harris, Crowe told the crowd that Ireland had beaten Australia for the first time in 37 years, and he believed that Harris was there with Ireland on the day.

He said that he was by himself after the match, drinking a pint of Guinness, when he wrote the verse in memory of his friend.

Crowd

He told the expectant crowd: "It was written on the back of a beer coaster, so it's very short."

Backed by local singers, a guitarist and an uileann piper, Crowe sang the "requiem in the idiom of a football song", with the crowd clapping along to the tune.

Gene Hackman had sent his regards and Clint Eastwood said he was sorry that he was not able to come to the unveiling of the statue. However, Crowe took a break from filming in New York to attend the ceremony, which was watched by 1,500 people.

Later, he joined with members of the Harris family to unveil the lifesize statue by local sculptor Seamus Connolly. It depicts Harris playing racquet ball, in memory of the Limerick man having won a racquet-ball competition four times in a row in the west Clare resort where he spent many of his summer holidays.

Alluding to a resident appealing against the decision to grant planning permission to erect the statue on Wellington Square, event organiser Manuel di Lucia said: "It is a slight problem, a minor detail." Earlier, one of Harris's three sons present, Jared, told the crowd that the three were a living memorial to his father.

"When my father died, I was told that life goes on, but I asked 'Why?' I want it all to stop; to stop and mark the passing of this great man; and days like this allow us to make sense of it all," he said.

Jared said that his father had "a deep, deep affection for Kilkee".

"He loved Kilkee; there was something in his heart in Kilkee. He fell in love with movies in Kilkee by going to the old cinema there."

Another son, Damien, told the crowd: "My father wasn't a sentimental man, but he was sentimental about Kilkee."

Richard‘s brother Billy said that links between Kilkee and the Harris family went back to 1850, and the resort allowed Richard Harris to express his wild personality to the full. He added that Richard was the first person to have swum accompanied across the bay at Kilkee.