County Meath ceremony remembers the Disappeared

West Belfast man Joe Lynskey disappeared in 1972

Seventeen people murdered and secretly buried by republicans during the Troubles have been remembered at a ceremony in County Meath.

The Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, led prayers for the Disappeared at Oristown, Kells, on Saturday.

It is thought that Brendan Megraw, who disappeared from Twinbrook in Belfast in 1978, was secretly buried there after being murdered by the IRA.

The event was organised by the WAVE Trauma Centre.

Two other victims - Kevin McKee and Seamus Wright - are thought to be buried nearby in Wilkinstown.

Brendan Megraw's brother Kieran, who attended the ceremony along with other families of the Disappeared, said: "All of the families have embraced the Good Friday Agreement and the new-found peace that has been created.

"We have moved on with our lives as best we can, but this nightmare doesn't go away.

"For us to fully move on, we need to bring the bodies home and we will continue to fight until that happens."

Meanwhile, the first photograph of Joe Lynskey, who disappeared in 1972, has been released.

Mr Lynskey was a former Cistercian monk from the Beechmount area of west Belfast who later joined the IRA.

He is believed to have been murdered by the IRA.

To date the remains of 10 bodies have been recovered.

In 1999 the British and Irish governments jointly established the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR).

The ICLVR is co-ordinating the searches for the remaining seven bodies using the latest forensic techniques.