The funeral takes place in Co Kildare this morning of Sgt John Lynch, the Irish soldier who died in a helicopter crash in south Lebanon last Wednesday night. Sgt Lynch will be buried with full military honours after 11 o'clock Mass at Cill Mhuire Church, Ballymany, Newbridge.
Yesterday Sgt Lynch's remains were flown into Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, on an Air Corps Casa aircraft. They were accompanied from Lebanon by his colleague, Comdt Michael O'Sullivan.
The remains were received at Baldonnel by members of Sgt Lynch's family including his wife Rosario, his two children Christina (11) and Scott (9), and his parents John and Marie.
His sisters Maria, Gabrielle and Aileen, and his brother Alan, who is a member of the Defence Forces serving at the Curragh, were also present.
A short religious ceremony was held at the church at Baldonnel, celebrated by Mgr Raymond Field, head chaplain of the Defence Forces, along with Father Brendan Madden, Air Corps chaplain, Father P.J. McEvoy, chaplain at the Curragh Camp, and Father Brendan Muldowney, chaplain at McKee Barracks.
Also in attendance at Baldonnel were the Minister for Defence, Mr Andrews, Lieut Gen Gerry McMahon, Defence Forces Chief-of-Staff, Maj Gen Bill Dwyer, Adjutant-General, and other senior Army officers.
Three Italian officers, Capt Luca Sagherizzi, Lieut Masimo Bandini and Warrant Officer Giuseppe Cacerrettav, travelled from Lebanon for the ceremony.
The remains were removed to Cill Mhuire Church yesterday evening.
Two parallel investigations into the helicopter crash, which also took the lives of four Italian officers, are under way in south Lebanon.
The Italian air force helicopter crashed during a night-time training flight.
The crash is being investigated by UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) and by the Italian air force, which has seven aviation experts working on the case.
The cause of the crash has yet to be established.