ID procedures and forensic tests carried out on the body left in Faughert graveyard in Dundalk on 28 May have shown that it is Eamon Molloy.

Searches at five other sites identified by the IRA as the locations of the unmarked graves of other victims have now been suspended.

Mr Molloy disappeared from his home in the Ardoyne district of North Belfast in 1975, after being accused by the IRA of being an informer.

His body was recovered when IRA intermediaries passed information to the commission for the location of the victims remains.

They later passed on locations for several more victims missing since the 1970s, known as the "disappeared".

Father McCafferty: Families hope for more informmation

Father Patrick McCafferty is a friend of the Molloy family and has been in contact with four other of the nine families waiting for information about relatives murdered by the IRA.

He said that he hoped the body would be released for a "normal Christian burial" very soon.

After visiting the Molloys on Monday he said that it had been a very difficult day, but that their thoughts were with the other families still waiting for news.

He said: "They have been waiting for this day but now that it has come there is the pain of the dawning realisation of the death of Eamon, in the presence of his mortal remains.

"It has been a very long period of waiting. Their thoughts throughout that period of time have been with the other familes who were not in the position that they were in."

Mr McKinney: Murdered in 1978

Tests are still being carried out on two other sets of remains believed to be those of John McClory and Brian McKinney, abducted by the IRA in 1978, which were uncovered in a bogside location in Co Monaghan.

Meanwhile, the families of other disappeared victims have appealed to the IRA to provide more information on the unmarked graves after the Gardai said digging at the five remaining locations would have to be suspended.

The BBC's Andy Tighe: "The digging is to stop"

They include Templetown Beach, Carlingford, County Louth, where they have been searching for the body of Jean McConville, Blessington in County Wicklow, Emyvale in Monaghan and Navan and Kells in County Meath.

The family of Jean McConville have said they will try to continue the dig in County Louth, if possible.

Seamus McKendry: "I'm on my knees begging."

Father Patrick McCafferty appealed to the IRA to provide more information to help find the victims.

He said: "There are no words left to describe what those families have gone through and are going through.

"Their hopes were built up and have come to nothing. They are in a worse position now than they ever were.

"We would hope and pray that someone will have compassion on these people in their terrible distress and will do something to try and find out precisely where the loved ones were buried."

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