Mourners gather to bid farewell to Michael Gaine ahead of Kerry farmer's funeral
Hundreds of grieving mourners gathered at a funeral home in Co Kerry on Friday to pay their respects ahead of the funeral for tragic murder victim Michael Gaine.
Mr Gaine, 56, is to be laid to rest after a Requiem Mass at the Holy Cross Church in his native Kenmare on Saturday morning - 11 weeks after he was last seen at a Centra shop in the Kerry town on March 20.
A major search operation was launched following the disappearance of the well-known and popular farmer and in late April gardaí upgraded their missing persons case to a homicide inquiry.
On May 16, gardaí confirmed that they had discovered partial human remains in slurry and a tank at the missing man's farm - remains which were later confirmed to be those of Mr Gaine.
Following a postmortem by State Pathologist Dr Sally Anne Collis, the remains were returned to Mr Gaine's family ahead of his funeral this weekend.
Mr Gaine will lie in repose at Finnegan's Funeral Home in Kenmare from 2pm today with Rosary at 7pm. Hundreds of mourners lined the street outside the funeral home on Friday afternoon to pay their respects and bid a final farewell to the Kerry farmer before he is laid to rest on Saturday.
Among the mourners in attendance at Finnegan's Funeral Home on Friday was Kerry GAA legend Pat Spillane, while parked outside was a Ford Escort rally car which had been restored by Mr Gaine's friends. The car, which was last driven by Mr Gaine over 15 years ago, will lead Saturday's funeral procession as the tragic murder victim takes his final journey.
Mr Gaine's remains will arrive at Holy Cross Church in Kenmare at 9.30am on Saturday morning ahead of his Requiem Mass, with a private family burial afterwards.
A death notice, posted on RIP.ie, says the funeral mass will be live streamed via the Holy Cross Church website. And it also asks people to make a donation in lieu of flowers to Kerry Mountain Rescueand the National Search and Rescue Dog Association.
A large gathering is expected at Holy Cross Church on Saturday morning and gardai in Kerry have asked mourners attending the ceremony to utilise designated car parks and walk the short distance to reduce traffic volume in the town.
Extra gardaí and stewards will be in place on Saturday and anyone with walking difficulties or other disabilities have been asked to make themselves known to the stewards and efforts will be made to secure parking in the vicinity of the Funeral Home or Church.
Mr Gaine's death notice states that he "will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by his heartbroken wife Janice, sisters Noreen and Catherine, nieces Emma and Rachael, nephews Jamie and Mark, brother-in-law Seán, aunt Noreen (Fitzpatrick, Cork), his close friends DJ and Shane and his wide circle of loyal friends in the Farming and Rallying community and beyond, cousins, in-laws and extended family."
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