THE Sinn Fein MP Mr Martin McGuinness was among mourners at the funeral yesterday of the former IRA prisoner, Mr Patrick Kelly, who died of cancer this week after his transfer from a British to an Irish jail more than a year ago. Mr Kelly (49) was buried in his home village of Kilinarden, Co Laois. The group of 200 mourners was led by his partner, Ms Angela Rice, and their daughter.
Mr Kelly was sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment in 1993 for conspiracy to cause explosions in Britain and the attempted murder of a policeman. After pressure from Dublin, he was moved first from Britain to Northern Ireland's' Maghaberry Prison and then to Portlaoise in May of last year, suffering from skin cancer.