Liam Neeson backs KBRT at New York fundraiser

'Taken' star Liam Neeson and Colin Bell, KBRT.

Movie star Liam Neeson has lent his support to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.

The star of movies such as ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Taken’ made an appearance at a fundraising event in New York City for the Newry charity.

It was founded in 2013 following the tragic death of Kevin Bell following a hit-and-run collision in New York.

The KBRT aims to alleviate the financial hardship of bereaved families by repatriating the bodies of loved ones who have died in sudden or tragic circumstances.

Since its foundation almost 1,500 loved ones have been repatriated back to Ireland by the charity.

The cost of a repatriation can cost £12,000 depending on the circumstances of the death, local charges and hospital release costs, so every penny raised through fundraising for the charity is gratefully received.

Last year the charity took care of more repatriations than any other year, with 254 bodies being returned to Ireland through the KBRT’s work.

A post on the KBRT’s social media pages said: “A big thank you to great supporters of the Trust, the Emerald Guild of New York, especially their President Mickey McCreesh (Forkhill) Keith Quinn (Mayobridge) and Keith Scally - the organisers of the fundraiser - for yet another $20,000 donation.

“A special mention to Liam Neeson who very kindly made the effort to attend the presentation.”