As the family and friends of Dermot Morgan gather for a private requiem Mass at St Margaret's Church in south-west London this morning, initial reports appear to confirm that he died from natural causes, brought on by a sudden heart attack.
The official post-mortem report on his death has not been released, but sources yesterday pointed to a verdict of death by natural causes and confirmed that an inquest would not be carried out.
A spokeswoman at Hounslow Coroner's Office, where the post-mortem was carried out, said details would not be released without the permission of Mr Morgan's family, but last night there were indications the report would be issued later this week.
In Britain cases of sudden death must be followed by a post-mortem. An inquest is held in cases of suspicious death, but if the post-mortem finds that death is a result of natural causes an inquest is not required.
As preparations were being made yesterday for the requiem Mass, a spokeswoman for St Margaret's Church said Mr Morgan's family had requested a small, private service. The church is close to the home Mr Morgan shared with his partner of 11 years, Ms Fiona Clarke, and their son, Ben. He was separated from his wife, Susanne, with whom he has two teenage sons, Donnchadh and Robert.
At today's Mass, Mr Morgan's family will be joined by colleagues and friends from Channel 4 and Hat Trick productions, the company that produces Father Ted. Members of the cast, including Ardal O'Hanlon and Pauline McLynn, are also expected. Mr Morgan's body will remain in the church overnight after which it will be flown to Ireland for his funeral on Friday in St Theresa's Church in Mount Merrion, Co Dublin.