Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and former republican prisoners have attended the funeral of an IRA man hanged 57 years ago for murdering a policeman.

Tom Williams, 19, was hanged and buried in Crumlin Road Prison in Belfast after he was convicted of involvement in the killing of RUC Constable Patrick Murphy in west Belfast in 1942.

His remains were brought to St Paul's Church on the Falls Road in Belfast on Tuesday after being exhumed from the north Belfast prison at the end of August.

Williams was one of six IRA men, including senior republican Joe Cahill, convicted of the policeman's murder.

However, his colleagues all received last-minute reprieves.



On Wednesday morning, thousands of people gathered at the Belfast church to pay their respects to Williams.

Cahill was among the mourners along with former IRA prisoner Martin Meehan.

As the coffin was carried from the church, Cahill placed an Irish tricolour over it.

Williams was buried in a family plot at Milltown cemetery.

Prison records

Prison records had been used to locate Williams' unmarked grave within the walls of the prison. He was the last IRA man to be hanged at the jail.

Republicans and relatives had long campaigned for his reburial at Milltown cemetery.

They were present on 27 August as his body was exhumed in the prison, which is now closed.

At that time, a spokesman for the prison service said the remains had been passed on to the state pathologist for further examination and identification.

A commemoration service is planned for Belfast on Sunday and is expected to be attended by thousands of republicans.