Thousands expected to attend Haughey funeral

Thousands of people are expected to attend the state funeral of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey on Friday.

Two large screens will be set up to relay the service to crowds who cannot be accommodated in the north Dublin church to pay their respects to a man whose achievements have been tarnished by numerous financial scandals.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will deliver the graveside oration following Requiem Mass at Our Lady of Consolation Church, Donnycarney in Mr Haughey's old constituency.

The 80-year-old died today at home in nearby Kinsealy after a long battle with cancer, with his wife Maureen, daughter Eimear and his sons Conor, Ciaran and Fianna Fáil TD Sean at his bedside.

Books of condolences have been opened, all flags on Government buildings will fly at half-mast and his cortege will be escorted by a marching military battalion and band for what is expected to be the biggest funeral in the Republic in years.

Hundreds of members of the Defence Forces will line the approach to St Fintan's Cemetery in Sutton where he will be buried.

President Mary McAleese is to cut short a state visit to South Africa to join church leaders, senior members of the judiciary, defence chiefs and representatives of all the main political parties at the funeral.

The ceremony and procession will be restricted to Mr Haughey's north Dublin constituency about three miles from the city centre, but tens of thousands of people are likely to attend.