What is a State funeral, who gets one and how is it different from other services?

Mr Bruton died at the age of 76 after a long illness.

A removal will be held on Friday evening to Saints Peter's and Paul's Church in Dunboyne, Co Meath at 7pm.

The funeral mass will take place there at 11am on Saturday followed by burial at Rooske Cemetery in Dunboyne around 1pm or 1.30pm.

State funerals typically involve the deceased being given a guard of honour by members of the Defence Forces and the coffin being draped in the Tricolour.

The guard of honour is provided by around 300 members of the Defence Forces and the coffin is carried by a gun-carriage.

The Last Post is sounded, a tradition that has remained from Ireland’s time as a Commonwealth nation.

Flags at Government buildings will fly at half mast until after Mr Bruton’s funeral.

State funerals are normally reserved for sitting and former Taoisigh and Presidents, though a number of State funerals have been held for other significant figures.

Officially, a State funeral may be held for “any other personage to whom the Government decides to accord such a funeral” besides a Taoiseach or President.

Not every former Taoiseach who has died was given a State funeral – the families of Liam Cosgrave and John A Costello turned down the honour.

Gardaí who died while on duty, including Jerry McCabe in 1996 and Tony Golden in 2015, have historically been given a State funeral.

The first State funerals were held in August 1922, for Arthur Griffith on August 16 and for Michael Collins 12 days later.

It was reported in 1948 when WB Yeats’ remains were being repatriated from France that the Government had offered a State funeral, but it was not held at the family’s request.

Some State funerals have taken place years after the death – Easter Rising leader Roger Casement received a State funeral when his remains were reinterred from Pentonville Prison in 1965.

Patrick Pearse’s mother Margaret received a State funeral, as did his sister Margaret Mary, who was a sitting Senator when she died in 1968.

Lying in state, where the body of the deceased is held in a state building for members of public to pay their respects, is an honour reserved exclusively for Taoisigh and Presidents.

Including Mr Bruton, a total of 47 State funerals have been held in Ireland.