A State funeral for former taoiseach Charles J Haughey has been held in Dublin. Mr Haughey has been buried at St Fintan's Cemetery in Sutton.
Thousands paid their final respects to Mr Haughey yesterday after his removal from his Kinsealy home to Donnycarney church in north Dublin. Large crowds turned out again for today's proceedings, which got under way at noon.
Mourners, including VIP guests, members of the Fianna Fáil party and members of the Oireachtas, began arriving at the church at 10am, although some members of the public began queuing for a chance to get into the church at 8am.
Around 2,000 people packed into the large church for a two-hour service, which included contributions from members of Mr Haughey's family and from the Fianna Fail TD Brian Lenihan, Mr Haughey's friend PJ Mara and the poet Brendan Kennelly.
The majority of seating in the church was reserved for friends of the Haughey family and members of the public from the Dublin North Central constituency that he represented for nearly 40 years.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, arrived at 11.45am, followed shortly afterwards by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Catherine Byrne.
The immediate family arrived shortly before noon. Mr Haughey's wife, Maureen, linked by her sons Conor and Ciarán was followed by son Seán, daughter Eimear, Mr Haughey's sister Maureen, and Mr Haughey's grandchildren, among other relatives. President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin then arrived and were escorted to their seats.
Many members of the public listened to the service outside the church on loadspeakers and big screens.
The requiem Mass was celebrated by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, and by Mr Haughey's brother, Fr Eoghan Haughey, OMI. In an emotional homily, Fr Haughey spoke of his brother's "magnetism, that magic quality".
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern delivers his graveside oration at St Fintan's Cemetery
"Some may not have liked it, or understood it. So be it," he told the congregation. On the controversial issue of the Arms Trial he said Mr Haughey believed it was "was up to him and his generation to do someting about the problem in Northern Ireland. It was always close to his heart and high on his political agenda."
Referring to controversy over the former taoiseach's financial affairs, Fr Haughey added: "He came through it all without bitterness or anger. In all those 30 or 40 years of public life, when so much that was hostile was written or said about him, he never once retaliated in kind. Never a word in his own defence."
Minister of State Brian Lenihan, the son of former tánaiste Brian Lenihan, conducted the first reading, while the second reading was delivered by Mr Haughey's daughter Eimear Mulhern.
Members of Mr Haughey's family, including his son, Ciarán, and old friends such as his former political adviser, PJ Mara, read prayers. Mr Haughey's son, Seán, who inherited his father's seat in the Dáil, gave his personal reflections on his father's life as did poet Brendan Kennelly near the end of the ceremony.
Hundreds of politicians, members of the Council of State, MEPs, church leaders, judges, diplomats, local authority members, senior gardaí and representatives of national organisations attended the Mass.
Among those present were former president Patrick Hillery and former taoisigh John Bruton and Garrett FitzGerald. Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy, along with senior colleagues and senior representatives from the Defence Forces were also present.
Former taoiseach Albert Reynolds is ill and was not present, although his wife Kathleen was in the congregation. Also present were Miriam and Cecilia Ahern, estranged wife and daughter of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Government ministers present included the Tánaiste Mary Harney, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, Minister for Education Mary Hanafin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin, Minister for Transport Martin Cullen and Minister for Social Affairs Seamus Brennan.
Other former colleagues of Mr Haughey's present included former minister Ray Burke and Padraig Flynn. Financier Dermot Desmond attended. The artist Robert Ballagh and journalists Vincent Browne and John Waters were also in the congregation.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams, Caomhghín Ó Caoláin TD, MEP Mary Lou McDonald and councillor Christy Burke were in attendance.
After the Solemn Requiem Mass, the coffin was removed from the church by Military Police pallbearers from the 2nd Military Police Company at Cathal Brugha Barracks, followed by the President and her husband, the immediate Haughey family, the Lord Mayor, the Taoiseach and Tánaiste Mary Harney.
The funeral cortege formed outside the church. Soldiers drawn from the 2nd Eastern Brigade battalion are carrying the Tricolour and the brigade's flag, escorted by 24 military cadets from the Curragh Military College.
Maureen Haughey holding the Tricolour that had been draped over her late husband's coffin with her son Ciaran and daughter Eimear alongside her
The coffin was carried at slow march by Military Police pallbearers to the Artane roundabout. The cortege then drove to St Fintan's cemetery in Sutton, where a military company drawn from the three arms of the Defence Forces: the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps greeted it.
Military Police pallbearers carried the coffin to the graveside, where they removed the Tricolour before the prayer service began.
The Taoiseach delivered a graveside oration in which he said Mr Haughey was "blessed with a strong intellect, natural charisma and driving spirit which was to make him the dominant public figure in the late 20 thcentury Ireland." A Naval Service firing party fired three volleys over the grave, while the Defence Forces' Band played the Last Post and Reveille.
President McAleese led the mourners at the removal service yesterday evening.
Mr Haughey's coffin was brought from the mortuary chapel, where he had lain in an open coffin during the day, to the church shortly after 5pm. The Tricolour-draped coffin was carried into the church by the 2nd Field Military Police Company and followed by his immediate family.
Thousands of members of the public filed past Mr Haughey's open coffin between 11.30 and 4pm yesterday. Over 1,000 people were present outside the church as the coffin left for the cemetery this afternoon.