The funeral of Private Seán Rooney will take place on Thursday in his hometown of Dundalk.
His remains were flown back to Casement Aerodrome in West Dublin this morning.
Flight
It was about half past eight this morning that the Air Corps CASA plane arrived at Baldonnel.
The flight took off from Beirut Airport yesterday afternoon and stopped over in Malta on it’s way home last night.
A large blue cargo plane, the CASA’s rear ramp was opened at about 9am, with a guard of honour at each side as Private Rooney’s coffin was removed.
Sean’s Mother, mother's partner, fiancée Holly McConnellogue, three uncles serving in the Defence Forces, grandfather all travelled to Dublin to be re-united with him.
The coffin was draped with a tricolour, and pall bearers carried it in a slow march - as gaeilge the call is Go Mall Mairséal - into Hangar number 5.
This march is so slow, it took the bearer party an emotional couple of moments to carry the coffin into the hangar.
Commandant Brian Connolly, Private Rooney’s Company Commander, has been by the young soldier’s side since the attack that killed him on Wednesday.
Inside the hangar, a private prayer service was conducted by the Air Corps Chaplain, Father Bernard McKay Morrissey.
The next steps include a post mortem - that comes first - then possibly a state funeral or a private ceremony depending on the family’s wishes.
Funeral
This evening, it's been confirmed his funeral will take place on Thursday morning, December 22nd, at the Holy Family Church in Dundalk.
His funeral mass will be followed by a burial service in All Saints Catholic Church, Colehill, Co Donegal.
It's expected his coffin will arrive in Donegal on Thursday afternoon at around 3:30pm.
