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Families of the disappeared march at Stormont

Northern Ireland - Attempts to locate remains
Northern Ireland - Attempts to locate remains

Families of IRA victims abducted and murdered during the conflict in Northern Ireland marched at Stormont today.

Relatives of the nine so-called disappeared will carried a black wreath with nine white lilies to remember the dead on All Souls Day.

Fresh tests were carried out in Co Monaghan last week where Columba McVeigh, a 17-year-old from Dungannon in Tyrone, was believed to be buried by republicans after being labelled a security force informer in 1975.

The last search for Mr McVeigh was carried out in 2003 by garda excavation teams on bogland at Bragan Mountain close to the Tyrone-Monaghan border.

Among the IRA's other victims were Robert Nairac, 29, an undercover soldier who disappeared from a south Armagh pub in 1977, and Charlie Armstrong, 55, who vanished on his way to Mass in 1981.

Other missing remains are those of: Kevin McKee, from west Belfast, who disappeared along with 25-year-old Seamus Wright in 1972; Brendan Megraw, 23, was kidnapped in 1978 from west Belfast; Gerard Evans, 24, disappeared on his way home from Crossmaglen in south Armagh in 1979; Danny McIlhone, disappeared from Dublin in 1981 and Seamus Ruddy, 33, disappeared in 1985.

Another, unconnected, victim represented will be Lisa Dorrian, 25, who went missing from a Co Down caravan in February 2005.

Members of a cross-community organisation which represents the bereaved, Wave, will also be present.

An Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains supported by the Irish and British governments has been established along with a confidential freephone number.

A forensic team has been reviewing information received.