The scene: As dawn broke over the hills and headlands surrounding Inch Strand, gardaí from the National Technical Bureau made their way to where the body of Robert Holohan lay.
Gardaí on duty securing the crime scene where the body had been dumped in a rugged furze-filled glen looked relieved as the day broke and their colleagues arrived.
Gardaí from the Technical Bureau spent several hours carrying out a preliminary examination of the scene. As the large media gathering waited for news of the arrival of State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, locals came down with hot food and tea for everyone.
One woman - who didn't wish to be named - had gone into Midleton with her daughter and bought over 50 breakfast rolls which she handed out to gardaí and press alike in yet another selfless gesture from a community already astounding for its selflessness.
Locals Con and Kathleen Herlihy had also helped out, allowing local radio teams to work from the parlour while offering hot mugs of tea to all and sundry on the road that leads to Inch Strand.
"Anything at all we can do to help, we will - we're all saddened by what happened - you couldn't but be," said 74-year-old Con, who revealed that he and his wife, Kathleen, had thought of joining the searches but decided in the end to leave it to younger, fitter people.
"Lord save us but it's terrible to think of that poor boy being dumped there," said Kathleen.
"Isn't it chronic to think of the strain on his poor family, not knowing what happened him and now for it to end like this - we're completely shocked over it."
Outside, Garda Michael O'Brien arrived with two bouquets of flowers for Sgt Fergus O'Donnell to lay by the signpost pointing towards the beach.
"I don't know who they're from - we were just told to put them by the signpost," said Sgt O'Donnell sadly.
And then at 12.30 p.m., a convoy of cars led by a Garda Land Rover arrived.
Dr Cassidy was in the second car and was driven to the crime scene where she spent just over an hour.
At 1.40 p.m. a black hearse arrived bearing a small wooden coffin, and some 10 minutes later re-emerged from behind the Garda cordon, carrying young Robert on the first stage of his journey back to his family.