An Omagh priest has sparked a row in the county after he refused the bereaved family’s wishes to have ‘Wagon Wheel’ played during communion as it was ‘the 5th time this month’ according to the church records.

Fr Tony McCabe, a Belfast man who used to sing in a showband before finding God during a trip to Portrush in 1988, has pleaded for families to think of other musical genres at funerals.

“I’m sick to the back teeth of Jolene, Achy Breaky Heart and Friends in Low Places. Every time I hear Wagon Wheel on the wireless I go into full funeral mass mode. It has to stop. Why not try What’s Another Year or Your Song? What’s wrong with Tyrone people?”

Additionally, the top three cremation songs in the county are:

• Take Me Home Country Road
• Go Rest High On That Mountain
• I Drive Your Truck