Gardaí search church, cemetery and roads ahead of gangland funeral
: Brian Sherry, a retired Garda Detective Inspector, says gardaí will have a very significant policing operation in place ahead of today's funeral.
"I've no doubt that the church was combed last night and probably sealed off following that and guarded overnight," he said.
"I would say the cemetery was visited by members of the gardaí and the area searched and cleansed and prepared.
"Similarly along the route, that would have been probably more than likely visited during the course of last night/early this morning."
: Gardaí are to mount a security operation ahead of the funeral of David Byrne in Dublin over a week ago.
Members of the force have been liasing with Mr Byrne's family.
David Byrne, a 34-year-old father-of-two, was waked at his parents' Dublin home yesterday ahead of his funeral Mass this afternoon in the capital.
Gardaí are mounting armed patrols in the city ahead of the funeral at the Church of St Nicolas of Myra on Francis Street in the city at 12.30pm.
It will make its way from Raleigh Square in Crumlin down to the church in the Liberties before making its way from there up to the cemetery in Harold's Cross.
Members of the ERU have been drafted in from all over the country and they will have support from the Garda Air Support Unit.
Gardaí have carried out a sweep for explosives at the church where the funeral Mass is due to take place.
David Byrne was killed by gunmen disguised as Gardaí in the Regency hotel in Drumcondra last Friday week.
His death came amid reports that a fued between rival drugs gangs had intensified.
Another man Eddie Hutch was shot dead in his home in Dublin last Monday in an apparent gangland style attack.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said the Garda Commissioner Noirin O Sullivan will personally oversee security arrangements for today's funeral.
Mr Kenny said Gardaí had dealt with similar threats in the past and would do so again now.
