The town of Midleton is expected to come to a standstill today when businesses close for the funeral this afternoon of Robert Holohan.
Robert's body was released by the Garda authorities late yesterday morning following the completion of a post- mortem by the State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, at Cork University Hospital.
He was brought back to his family home at Ballyedmond yesterday afternoon.
A funeral Mass will take place this afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Rosary in Midleton.
Robert - a fifth-class pupil at Midleton CBS primary school - will be buried in the adjacent cemetery following the Requiem Mass.
A local travel agent, Mr Brendan Barry, of East Cork Travel, was calling to businesses in the town yesterday afternoon informing them of the plan to close down for Robert's funeral.
"Virtually every business in the town is closing down from 1 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. as a mark of respect to Robert," Mr Barry said.
"Quite honestly, people don't have a mind for work. They're still in a state of shock and want to show their respect for Robert on his last journey.
"Over the past 12 days the town of Midleton united in the most extraordinary way, with over 1,000 people out searching for Robert on a number of days, and the business people of the town were no different.
"Supermarket-owners sent up flasks and sandwiches, restaurants sent up chips and soup and sandwiches, other businesses sent up changes of socks and gloves for the searchers. Literally everybody pitched in and they will all line the Main Street today for the cortege.
"Unfortunately, we didn't get the result that we wanted," Mr Barry said, "and Robert didn't come home alive, but it did show that beneath it all humanity is alive and kicking in Midleton and virtually all the businesses shutting down is just another expression of that."
Robert played hurling with Midleton GAA club's under-11 team. It and the Midleton rugby and soccer clubs have cancelled all activities for the weekend as a mark of respect.
Meanwhile, mourners have begun calling to Glanturkin near Inch Strand where Robert's body was found on Wednesday afternoon.
While the scene remained cordoned off yesterday, many people laid bouquets of flowers beneath a signpost for the beach.
"God must have needed another hurler for heaven. It's so unfair. Rest in Peace, Robert, the Horgan family, Rocklands, Carrigtwohill," read the message of sympathy on one of nearly two dozen bouquets of flowers left at the foot of the signpost.
Someone else had left a small white teddy bear on the puddled roadway, while beside the bear lay a small Dinky car.
Another person had left a furry mascot in the black-and-white colours of Robert's Midleton GAA team.
