27/11/2013

Funeral Of Father Alec Reid To Be Held

The funeral of Father Alec Reid is to take place later today at Clonard Monastery, west Belfast.

Father Reid died in hospital on Friday at the age of 82.

During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, he acted as a 'go-between' and peace broker between the British Government and the IRA. He arranged for talks between Sinn Féin and the SDLP leaders, which led to the 1993 Downing Street Declaration, and in 2005, he was one of two church witnesses to the IRA decommissioning.

Today, hundreds of mourners are expected to pay their respects to Father Reid.

Requiem mass is due to begin at 12 noon.

Following the service at Clonard, he will be buried in Milltown cemetery.

(JP/CD)

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