A black beret and a Tricolour draped the coffin of Robert Doolin at his funeral Mass yesterday. The actor died over a week ago after an altercation outside a Dublin city centre taxi depot.
Paramilitary trappings were visible at the funeral and youths in military-style uniforms provided a guard of honour to the cortege as it made its way to St Bernadette's Church, Crumlin. Several men wearing black jackets shouldered the coffin into the church. The service, celebrated by Father Peter O'Connor, took place after 11 a.m. Mass.
An investigation file on the death of Mr Doolin will be submitted to the DPP but gardai said it was unlikely charges would be brought.
Mr Doolin died of asphyxiation when attempts were made to restrain him outside the Pony Cabs taxi company on South Great George's Street early on August 20th.
According to Garda sources, he was known to the Special Branch for acquainting with members of the "Real IRA." On the night he died, Mr Doolin had been enjoying a night out in pubs around the South King Street area. He was involved in a row outside the taxi depot but left to go home.
However, he later returned to the scene on his motorcycle with a baseball bat and was restrained to the ground by a security guard but not struck. He was unconscious when gardai arrived and died later.
As an actor, he was best known for his role in the RTE programme Upwardly Mobile and also had parts in Ballykissangel, Fair City and the film adaptations of the Roddy Doyle novels, The Commitments and The Snapper.