Remains were 'Disappeared' Crossmaglen man Gerry Evans

Gerry Evans went missing aged 24 in County Monaghan in 1979

Human remains found in the Republic of Ireland have been identified as those of one of the Disappeared, Gerry Evans.

Mr Evans, 24, from Crossmaglen, went missing in March 1979.

His body was found on 15 October in bogland in County Louth, days after officials decided to wind down the search.

Mr Evans' funeral will take place at 1100GMT on Saturday at St Patrick's Church, Crossmaglen.

On Monday, the Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains said: "The results positively indicate that the remains are those of Mr Gerard Evans.

"Dr Brian Farrell, Coroner for the City of Dublin has accepted this as evidence of identification and has authorised the release of the remains to the family.

"The thoughts of everyone in the commission are with the Evans family at this difficult time."

The remains were discovered shortly after the commission announced they were winding down the search at Carrickrobin after 16 months of painstaking excavation.

They had unearthed an area the size of four football fields but had found nothing. The family were devastated.

At that stage, Gerry Evans' brother Noel said they were losing hope that he would ever be found.

Mr Evans was last seen hitch-hiking in Castleblayney, County Monaghan.

The 24-year-old was believed to have been kidnapped and murdered by the IRA.

The ICLVR was established in 1999 to obtain information in strictest confidence which may lead to the location of the remains of the disappeared - those killed and buried in secret by banned paramilitary groups prior to 10 April 1998 as a result of the Troubles.

Sixteen people were murdered by republican paramilitaries and secretly buried in isolated areas of Ireland during the Troubles.

Nine bodies have yet to be found.

In 1999, the IRA admitted responsibility for killing and secretly burying nine of the 16, while one was admitted by the INLA.