The "outstanding" work of the Garda in uncovering human remains at a site in Co Monaghan has been praised by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
Speaking in Belfast, where he was attending the peace talks, Mr O'Donoghue said he had told the Dail the south Monaghan site was the most difficult to search because of the waterlogged terrain. The work of gardai in this "most difficult and sensitive task" was a tribute to their professionalism.
The Minister said he was acutely aware of the suffering of the families of the missing people, and he appealed to anyone with information about the whereabouts of other bodies to contact the Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains. The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, also welcomed the breakthrough and congratulated the Garda on its "relentless diligence" over the past several weeks. But he also expressed "puzzlement that the vast efforts being made by the security forces had not yielded up the remains of all victims by now".
There was a "serious onus" on those with full information on the location of bodies to assist the gardai, he said.
The Sinn Fein TD, Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain, said the discovery at Colgagh would be greeted with "great relief" and he hoped it was the end of the long ordeal for the families concerned.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said it was a sad and very tragic time for the families. "Our thoughts and prayers are with them. The efforts in recent weeks to recover the remains has been a long and painful process for everyone involved."
He added that the circumstances and the passage of time had made the recovery more difficult than was anticipated. "Our hope is that the other remains will be recovered soon."
The remains were found as some of the relatives met Irish representatives of the Commission for the Disappeared. They included Mrs Margaret McKinney, whose son Brian is believed to be buried at the spot where the remains were discovered.
She left her home in Andersonstown, west Belfast, to take food and drink to the people digging for the body of her son. Her husband William said people had been praying for them in recent weeks - "just maybe this is a result of their prayers", he said.
"Our hopes faded from time to time but we never lost them completely. The neighbours have been a great source of strength. Hopefully this will be the beginning of the end for the family. I just hope now that the rest of the bodies can be recovered."
Mr Seamus McKendry, whose mother-in-law, Mrs Jean McConville, is believed to be buried on the shores of Carlingford Lough, Co Louth, said he hoped the remains were that of Mr McClory and Mr McKinney. "I just hope and pray that these remains belong to the victims."