Garda Tony Tighe's "good, kind, courteous and gentle soul is at peace", the congregation at Mount Argus church in Dublin was told last night.
Garda chaplain Father Joe Kennedy said it was inappropriate that a man of that nature, who would never harm anyone, should have lost his life in the tragic circumstances in which he did.
Hundreds of people stood outside the church waiting for the funeral cortege of Garda Tighe, who died with his colleague, Garda Michael Padden, when a stolen car crashed into their vehicle at high speed on Sunday morning.
Father Kennedy said that while "joyriders" might be the name given to such people, he couldn't help but think that people who "deal with cars in that fashion bring danger and fear and very often death".
He said that if any good could come of the deaths of the two gardaí it would be a belief in life and the right to life which everyone had.
The Tricolour and the Garda flag were at half mast as the cortege made its way up the drive of the church at Harold's Cross to the sound of a single church bell tolling.
Garda Tighe's sons, Anthony, Colum and Paul, carried his coffin into the church with the garda's brother, John, and other family members and friends.
His shocked wife, Irene, and daughter, Fiona, had their arms around each other as they followed his remains into the church, to be received by Father Kennedy.Garda Tighe's elderly mother was supported by his sister Aida.
Hundreds of gardaí were among the packed congregation who heard the force's chaplain read from one of more than 100 floral tributes and wreaths. It was an anonymous note from "someone who knows and cares about the good work done by all the brave gardaí". The chaplain said it echoed the views of the people of the city and "all decent people".
The tributes were from Garda units, stations and social clubs around the country.
Just a few weeks before his death, Garda Tighe and his wife proudly watched as their son Colum graduated from Garda college in Templemore. Colum, who is based in Kilmainham, was among the first to arrive at the crash scene.
For all of his 32-year career in the force Garda Tighe was based at Donnybrook. As the crowd waited for the cortege to arrive at the church, one friend, Sgt Kevin McHugh, described the dead garda as a "father figure" to C unit in Donnybrook.
The general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, Mr George Maybury, asked for his comments, said the deaths of the two gardaí had had a very "numbing, traumatic effect on the Garda".
"It was a deep shock because we all realised that it could have been any one of our members," he said.
The Defence Forces' chief chaplain, Mgr John Crowley, was among the clergy at the ceremony. Prayers were said for Pte Peadar Ó Flaithearta, who was shot in East Timor.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, were among the congregation. The President, Mrs McAleese, was represented by her aide-de-camp, Col Brian O'Reilly.
The deputy Garda commissioner, Mr Noel Conroy, and assistant commissioners Mr Fachtna Murphy and Mr Tony Hickey were among those present. The Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, former Taoiseach Mr Albert Reynolds and a number of TDs also attended.
Garda Tighe's funeral Mass is at 11 a.m. today, followed by burial at Newlands Cemetery.
