HUNDREDS OF MOURNERS joined politicians from across the island of Ireland at the funeral of Fr. Alec Reid in Belfast this afternoon.

Originally from Tipperary Fr. Reid, who died last week in Dublin, is seen as one of the pivotal figures in the Northern Ireland peace process having acted as an intermediary for paramilitaries and in facilitating talks between Gerry Adams and John Hume.

The Funeral Mass  for the Redemptorist priest was held at at Clonard church in west Belfast where he served for forty years. It followed an Ecumenical Service of Gratitude for his work last night.

Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese was one of those who spoke at the funeral and said that his great strength was that, “he saw ways to soften hearts, he saw ways to persuade the estranged to talk to one another and to take a chance on one another to find common ground”.