Stones Roses bassist Mani mourned in Kildare

There has been widespread sadness as Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, who had strong Kildare connections, died on Thursday aged 63.

The Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist is the son of Anne Patricia Farrell from Knockroe, Maganey, who emigrated first to London before setting in Manchester. In Maganey, she lived a few doors away from Johnny’s Marr’s mother.

A Made of Athy plaque dedicated to Mani drew large crowds to Athy’s Emily Square in November 2018 when it was unveiled outside The Emigrant.

Before officially launching the plaque, the musician laid flowers on his mother’s grave in Maganey, accompanied by his wife and two sons. They also visited the house his mother grew up in.

“It feels like coming home. Not in a weird, bullshit, American plastic Paddy kind of sense… my family and Johnny Marr’s family lived five doors apart,” Mani told the Kildare Nationalist at the time. “I’ve been to the graveyard, I’ve put flowers down for all my family and all that. It’s good to be here for a good reason, because I only ever come here to bury people now. So it’s good to come here and celebrate something. My mam, she’s watching somewhere, she’d be so super proud. It’s a homecoming of sorts – I feel good.” 

Reacting to the news of his passing, the Made of Athy page said: ‘So sorry to hear about this, we had just started making an arrangements for him to come home in 2026, he was to play Athy and Belfast. Can't express my sadness about this, It seems like only yesterday that himself and Imelda visited us with the twins, now both gone. So, so sad, I had just posted the Made Of Athy album to him."

Mani’s brother Greg Mounfield posted the news on Facebook: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce the sad passing of my brother.” His nephew also shared the news.

His Roses bandmate Ian Brown posted on X: “Rest in peace Mani.

Liam Gallagher wrote on X: “In total shock and absolutely devastated on hearing the news about Mani my hero”