Flowers and written tributes continue to be placed at the Co Kerry farm where partial remains of missing farmer Michael Gaine were discovered at the weekend.
Parish priest Fr George Hayes spoke of how he had offered prayers on Sunday when a coffin was brought to the farm, just outside Kenmare.
“It seemed so incongruous to be praying for Michael in such circumstances on such a beautiful day. When words fail us, all we can do is offer our presence and our prayer to God – that the Lord will strengthen and uphold all who are so heavily burdened at this time,” Fr Hayes said.
He added that the parish of Kenmare was keeping Mr Gaine and his family in their thoughts and prayers “over these harrowing days”.
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In Tralee, condolences were offered to the Gaine family at the May monthly meeting of Kerry County Council.
Fine Gael local councillor Teddy O’Sullivan Casey said “the level of support from the community has been amazing”.
Mr O’Sullivan Casey offered his sympathy to Mr Gaine’s wife Janice, his two sisters Noreen and Catherine, as well as his close friends in the farming and rallying communities.
Brian Hickey and Donal McCarthy, close friends of Mr Gaine, had been helping with heavy machinery at the farm since early on Sunday.
They helped carry out the coffin after prayers were said by Fr Hayes at around 6pm.
Mr Hickey, who was involved in rallying with Mr Gaine, told Radio Kerry that he and Mr McCarthy had done some “heavy lifting” at the farm over the weekend before adding that Mr Gaine would have done the same for them.
At the farm, on the main Killarney road, search activity involving gardaí remained intense for a third day running on Monday.
A screen was set up at around 4.30pm on the eastern end of the large slatted shed where a service truck was positioned. It had been used by workers who specialise in cleaning drains and septic tanks.
Also on Monday, 20 Defence Forces personnel from its specialist engineer unit, along with gardaí, searched an area of rough ground within the farm boundary.
In a poignant note left at the scene, friends told their “gentle teddy bear” to rest in peace.
“The beauty of a memory is always there,” the message stated.
Flowers and candles were also left at the scene and cars slowed to a crawl as a mark of respect.
A man in his 50s was arrested on Sunday in Tralee on suspicion of murder. He continued to be questioned at Killarney Garda station on Monday evening.
His arrest came 48 hours after partial human remains were found in slurry being spread on Mr Gaine’s land at Carrig East near Kenmare. Gardaí believe Mr Gaine was killed on Thursday, March 20th.
