Last post for a family man and friend

John Lynch straightened his back, put his hands by his side and stood behind his son's coffin. The grey-haired former sergeant major stepped out of the supporting arms of relatives and stood ready. The head of an Army family, two sons in the Defence Forces, on his way to bury one of them.

Mr Lynch wore five medals on his chest. His son's three medals lay pinned to the Tricolour draped over the coffin. At the graveside Sgt Lynch's tanned and blue-beret wearing colleagues bent to embrace the small man and he wept.

The congregation in Newbridge yesterday heard how the 34-yearold loved his family, his sport and his job. The wreaths spelt out brother, friend, dad, John. His widow, Rosario, spoke of their plans for the future "that wasn't to be" and said words could not express her love for him.

Sgt Charles O'Neill played the last post by the grave and a firing party from the Curragh fired three volleys in the graveyard beside a field of golden stubble.

Lieut Massimo Bandini, one of three Italian officers in Ireland for the funeral, spoke warmly about his friend. Neither he nor Warrant Officer Guiseppe Caverretta would talk about their abduction with Sgt Lynch by Hezbollah guerrillas last June. "John would never talk about it. So they won't," an Army spokesman said.

Lieut Bandini had attended the funeral of his Italian colleagues killed in the same crash before flying to Ireland. He had served alongside Sgt Lynch for about seven months, spending time off together when they would talk about family and home. "It's not a matter of country. We were working together for the same reason."

Both men had taken a beginner's computer course taught by Sgt Lynch in Lebanon. "He was a very good teacher. He was able to keep your attention by telling a few jokes," Lieut Bandini said.

"He was one of us. He was a good man - the kind of man who can teach everybody something about life. I was very lucky to be his friend."