The funeral of Private Seán Rooney, the young Irish soldier killed in Lebanon a week ago, takes place today.
The mass for the 24 year-old is underway this morning in the Holy Family Church in Dundalk. It will be followed by a burial service at All Saints Catholic Church in Colehill, County Donegal later today.
Private Rooney died after being shot while on UN peacekeeping duty last week when the convoy he was travelling in was ambushed.
He will be given full military honours, something TD and former army ranger Cathal Berry says is very rare;
"It's the military equivalent of a state funeral. So obviously there will be a tricolour, the national colours on the coffin, there will most likely be a volley of shots then over the graveside."
He says it's a huge honour for any country to bestow on an individual. Deputy Berry hopes it will go some way to "assuage the terrible loss for the family."
