Tom Williams was one of the roll call of Republican Martyrs, very ordinary people who went on to do extraordinary things because of the extraordinary times that they lived in, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams told a 50,000 strong crowd attending the fallen Volunteer's commemoration in Belfast's Milltown Cemetery last Sunday. Many observers commented that it was the biggest show of strength in the city since Bobby Sands' funeral in 1981. The commemoration had been organised by Belfast National Graves Association to give republicans throughout Ireland the opportunity to pay tribute to a brave Volunteer and bid their final farewell. Free article

After a delay of more than three years, the inquest into the killing of IRA Volunteer Diarmuid O'Neill by the Metropolitan Police is due to open on 31 January at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court, South London. Free article

Evidence supporting charges of RUC collusion in the assassination of Belfast defence lawyer Pat Finucane has been found by the Stevens' Inquiry team. According to British media reports, the 17-strong team, which includes British detectives and is headed by police chief John Stevens, has uncovered material to support the claim by two informers that the RUC had prior knowledge of the murder plot against Finucane but did nothing to stop the killing. Free article

Sam Marshall was returning home with two other men after signing bail at Lurgan RUC barracks on the night of 7 March 1990 when they were confronted by two masked men carrying AK 47 assault rifles. Two of the three escaped but Sam, injured in the legs and unable to run away, was shot twice in the head at point blank range. Free article

The past week was dominated by negative unionist reaction to the British government's proposed changes for policing in the Six Counties. Betraying unionist resistance to every form of change, David Trimble angrily attacked the proposals, saying the British government had ``dishonoured itself''. Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson warned that many delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council would conclude that the UUP should withdraw from the Executive. Free article

The 28th annual Bloody Sunday march and commemorative rally took place in London on Saturday, 22 January. It was attended by around 2,500 people and addressed by Paul Doherty, whose father Patrick was killed on Bloody Sunday; Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy MLA, Breandán MacCionnaith, Labour MP Tony Benn, and Shane O'Neill, brother of Diarmuid O'Neill. Free article