THE hunt for the murderer of Ms Sophie Toscan du Plantier (38) continued in west Cork yesterday as the French woman was buried in a village outside Toulouse.
The investigating gardai hope that the results of vital forensic evidence will be available to them within a few days.
"We are hoping that the interim results may give us some things of great value, particularly the hair which was found in her hands," said chief supt Noel Smith.
He confirmed that forensic samples had also been taken from Ms Toscan du Plantier's bed and that those results may also prove valuable in the investigation. He said there are still no firm suspects.
Senior gardai involved in the investigation held a hour conference yesterday evening to discuss the progress of their inquiries.
Ms Toscan du Plantier was brutally murdered at her holiday home near Goleen, Co Cork, two days before Christmas.
Her funeral in the village of Mauvezin, near Toulouse, was attended by over 150 people, including her husband, Mr Daniel Toscan du Plantier (55).
The service, held in a small country church, was attended by the French Minister for Culture, Mr Philippe DousteBlazy, well known French philosopher Bernard Henri Levy, film director Maurice Pialat, and Mr Toscan du Plantier's first wife, MarieChristine Barrault, an actress.
Gardai are now satisfied that they have ascertained the French woman's movements from her arrival at Cork airport on Friday afternoon until Sunday evening, when she returned to her holiday home after a short trip around the locality.
It had been suggested that some mileage on her hired silver grey Ford Fiesta may have been unaccounted for.
But Chief Supt Noel Smith, officer in charge of the investigation, said that the mileage had been checked by the rental company at Cork airport before the car had left. And they had ascertained her movements in the two days prior to her death.
"There is no unaccounted for mileage. We are aware of the trips that she made," he told The Irish Times. Ms Toscan du Plantier's flight from Paris on the Friday before Christmas had been via Dublin to Cork. However, Chief Supt Smith said she would not have left the aircraft during the stopover.
He said the search for the murder weapon, a blunt instrument, possibly a poker, was continuing around the holiday home.
Gardai are due to travel to France this week to speak to the dead woman's relatives and friends.
"Obviously they [the gardai] will have a certain amount of background information when they travel and they will want to question people about her life and her movements in the days before she left for Ireland."
Chief Supt Smith said the search through video footage at the airport was continuing. All passenger lists were also being checked.