Ceremonies mark Lebanon murders

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The 25th anniversary of the murders of three Irish soldiers by a colleague in Lebanon has been marked in Dublin.

They were shot dead by west Belfast man Michael McAleavey as they manned a checkpoint on 27 October 1982.

McAleavey, who was 21 at the time, is being transferred from Mountjoy Jail in Dublin to a prison in Northern Ireland to be closer to his family.

The ceremonies came as the last Irish unit serving with UN peacekeepers in Lebanon stood down on Saturday.

The troops were sent last October to join the UN Interim Force in patrolling the Lebanese-Israeli border, after fighting flared up in the region again.

Michael McAleavey is to be transferred to Northern IrelandIrish troops had previously served on peace-keeping duty from 1978 to 2001, and 46 soldiers died during that time.

One of Ireland's longest-serving prisoners, McAleavey received a life sentence for the October 1982 killings.

McAleavey shot fellow privates Peter Burke and Thomas Murphy and Corporal Gary Morrow at Tibnin Bridge, South Lebanon.

The west Belfast man initially said his unit had been attacked by Lebanese gunmen.

However, he later admitted that he had "cracked" under a combination of pressure and heat exhaustion and killed his colleagues.

On Saturday, a wreath was laid at the grave of Private Burke and masses were conducted at several barracks in honour of the three men.