Tricolour-covered coffins of `four of our finest', surrounded by flowers, lie together in hangar

Their coffins lay in Hangar 3 in Baldonnel on Saturday in the same configuration as the men had sat on their last flight two nights before. Pilots Capt Dave O'Flaherty and Capt Michael Baker were to the front, winchmen Sgt Paddy Mooney and Cpl Niall Byrne behind.

Draped in Tricolours, the caskets were surrounded by hundreds of floral tributes, their colour a sharp contrast to the concrete grey and military green of the hangar. Along the white section of two of the Tricolours lay the swords which Capt Baker and Capt O'Flaherty received with their officers' commissions.

"Four of our finest, our most experienced, our most professional" were taken, the congregation was told. Four men who had been "so vibrant, so energetic, so full of life" were gone.

The CASA aircraft carrying the men's remains had taxied on the runway at Casement aerodrome at 7 p.m. The coffins were taken from the back of the plane one by one, while relatives and colleagues watched from the edge of the runway. A lone piper played Raglan Road, as four groups of the men's colleagues took it in turn to remove the coffins. The President, Mrs McAleese, led the mourners with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, who had been flown to the talks in Stormont earlier in the week by two of the men. Joining them were the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, and the Minister for the Marine, Dr Woods.

Also present was the Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, the Most Rev Raymond Field. Leading the military mourners was the Chief-of-Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieut Gen David Stapleton, and his Deputy Chiefs-of-Staff, Brig Gen Mangan and Brig Gen O'Dwyer. They were accompanied by the Officers Commanding the Air Corps and Naval Service, Brig Gen Patrick Cranfield and Commodore John Kavanagh. The American and British military attaches and a search-and-rescue team from RAF Chivenor also joined with the mourners.

The family and friends of Cpl Niall Byrne gathered for a prayer service in Baldonnel last night. His burial will take place this morning in Shanganagh Cemetery after 11 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Johnstown, Killiney.

Sgt Paddy Mooney's remains were kept at his family home in Stamullen, Co Meath, last night and will be removed for 7 p.m. Mass tonight. He will be buried tomorrow in Stamullen after noon Mass. Capt Michael Baker's remains will arrive at St Aidan's Cathedral, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, at 6 p.m. today. He will be buried tomorrow at St Mary's cemetery after 4 p.m. Mass.