Large garda presence as gang boss 'Fat' Andy Connors buried in €28k gold-plated coffin

At mass in the Church of the Nativity of the Blesses Virgin Mary parish priest Fr Enda Cunningham told the mourners that the Connors family wanted no retaliation for his death, or to see another family endure the pain they were going through.

The altar was adorned with many photographs of Connors, as well as an array of floral tributes formed into messages such as 'the best daddy in the world' and 'million dollar man'.

Before the funeral mass began, members of the Connors family opened the ornate gold casket at the altar to say one last goodbye to him.

The remains of the well-known burglary gang boss were brought from his home in nearby Blessington Road to the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the removal ceremony, which began shortly after 7pm last night.

Connors's body was brought to the church by his family in a gold-plated coffin worth €28,000, which was imported from England.

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He will be brought to St Michael's Cemetery in Gorey, Co Wexford, where he will be buried this evening.

Gardai are exploring a number of theories in relation to the murder of the father-of-six, who was shot dead in front of some of his children last week.

Officers are probing whether he was killed by the INLA after he refused to pay their extortion demands and are also investigating a dispute he was involved in with a Dublin businessman.