The picturesque village of Nurney, Co Kildare, came to a standstill on Saturday as one of its sons, Pte Matthew John Lawler, was laid to rest.
Up to 200 people crowded the small Church of the Sacred Heart for the funeral Mass. More than double that stood on the road and grounds outside, listening to the ceremony on loudspeakers.
Pte Lawler (23) was the eldest of the four soldiers killed in the Beirut road accident.
The local curate, Father Paul McNamee, said the lives of four families, all of whom lived within a 20-mile radius, had been shattered by the deaths.
Pte Lawler, "a deeply-loved son and brother, was the one they leaned on and relied on. Kind, supportive, sensitive and generous with what he had. While others were going out after work, John would be going home to get jobs done around the house".
His father, Ted, suffers from a long-term illness. His mother, Mary, died 2 1/2 years ago. He is survived by his brother, Mark, and by his sisters, Emma and Marguerite.
Marguerite spoke on behalf of the family at the end of the Mass. "He worked so hard. Every penny he had he gave to ensure our comfort," she said.
She concluded with a poem.
Our brother's name was Matthew, though we called him John.
I called him my big hero, my father just said son.
Our knight in shining armour, our star up in the sky,
our gentle giant, our manly man, sometimes a little boy.
On that day in Lebanon, when the world was full of love,
God and Mammy called him, to be with them above.
He did not want to leave us, but from our lives he's gone.
So to him now I pray my prayers. We miss and love you, John.
Among those in attendance were the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, and the Chief-of-Staff of the Defence Forces, Lt-Gen David Stapleton. Representing the President was Capt Pauline O'Connell. Capt Sean O'Keeffe represented the Taoiseach.
After Mass, Pte Lawler's body was taken to Nurney Cemetery, where he was buried with full military honours beside his mother's grave.
