Latest news with #IndependentCommissionfortheLocationofVictims'Remains
The Irish Sun
16-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Fresh hopes in Joe Lynskey body search probe as human remains found at site previously searched for Disappeared victim
FURTHER fragments of human remains have been found at a site where investigators had carried out a search for a Disappeared victim of the Troubles, Joe Lynskey. The development comes less than two months after investigators announced that remains exhumed from the cemetery site in Annyalla, Co 2 The remains were recovered from the grave in the village of Annyalla The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) said other remains have now been found after it received information about a different area of the cemetery that does not incorporate any family graves. The commission stressed that the information did not directly relate to the disappearance of Mr Lynskey. However, investigators said they were keeping an 'open mind', pending the results of tests to determine whether the remains do belong to the Mr Lynskey, a former monk from Belfast who later joined the Read more in News He was one of 17 people who were Disappeared by republican paramilitaries during the Troubles in The ICLVR did not become aware that Mr Lynskey was one of the Disappeared until 2010. A number of searches since then have all failed to locate his remains. The commission was set up by the UK and Irish governments during the peace process to investigate the whereabouts of the Disappeared. Thirteen have been formally found. As well as Mr Lynskey, the commission is also tasked with finding three other Disappeared victims – Co Most read in Irish News The commission opened a grave in November last year after it received information related to 'suspicious' historical activity during the 1970s at a grave in Annyalla cemetery. It instigated the exhumation operation to establish whether Mr Lynskey had been secretly buried there by the IRA. In March, the commission said tests had confirmed that the remains did not belong to Mr Lynskey. It said the remains recovered from the grave also did not belong to any member of the family who own the plot. The ICLVR further confirmed that the remains were not those of any of the three other Disappeared victims the commission continues to search for. LATEST DEVELOPMENT Eamonn Henry, lead investigator at the ICLVR, announced the latest development at the Annyalla site in a statement on Friday. He said: 'Following the recent exhumation at Annyalla Cemetery in relation to the search for Joe Lynskey, information came to the ICLVR indicating another small area of interest within the confines of the cemetery. 'This was not another family grave site. 'I want to emphasise that this information did not relate directly to the disappearance of Joe Lynskey and so until we have a positive identification or the elimination of the remains as those of Joe Lynskey or any of the other of the Disappeared, we have to keep an open mind'. He said Ireland's State Pathologist had been notified and the remains have been taken away for technical examination. Mr Henry added: 'We know only too well that the Lynskey family have had hopes raised before only to be bitterly disappointed and so, as ever, expectations have to be managed. 'The process of identification could take some time and we will continue to offer the family what support we can'. APPEAL RENEWED Mr Henry renewed the appeal for information on all of the remaining Disappeared cases. He said: 'Regardless of the outcome, this work at Annyalla shows that where we have credible information, we will act on it. 'This week also marks the 48th anniversary (15 May) of the murder and secret burial of Robert Nairac. 'We need information on his and the other outstanding cases and anyone with information can be assured that it will be treated in the strictest confidence. 'Our humanitarian work is entirely information-driven to get us to the right places where we can use the considerable technical expertise at our disposal to locate the remains of those disappeared and to return them to their loved ones for Christian burial. 'Anyone who helps with that will be doing a great service to families who have suffered so much for so long.' 2 Remains previously exhumed from a grave in Co Monaghan are not those of Joe Lynskey Credit: PA:Press Association
Belfast Telegraph
16-05-2025
- Belfast Telegraph
Human remains discovered at site of previous search for Disappeared victim
The development comes less than two months after investigators announced that remains exhumed from the cemetery site in Annyalla, Co Monaghan, were not those of Mr Lynskey. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) said other remains have now been found after it received information about a different area of the cemetery that does not incorporate any family graves. The commission stressed that the information did not directly relate to the disappearance of Mr Lynskey. However, investigators said they were keeping an 'open mind', pending the results of tests to determine whether the remains do belong to the IRA murder victim. Mr Lynskey, a former monk from Belfast who later joined the IRA, was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by members of the republican paramilitary group in 1972. He was one of 17 people who were Disappeared by republican paramilitaries during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The ICLVR did not become aware that Mr Lynskey was one of the Disappeared until 2010. A number of searches since then have all failed to locate his remains. The commission was set up by the UK and Irish governments during the peace process to investigate the whereabouts of the Disappeared. Thirteen have been formally found. As well as Mr Lynskey, the commission is also tasked with finding three other Disappeared victims – Co Tyrone teenager Columba McVeigh, British Army Captain Robert Nairac, and Seamus Maguire, who was in his mid-20s and from near Lurgan, Co Armagh. The commission opened a grave in November last year after it received information related to 'suspicious' historical activity during the 1970s at a grave in Annyalla cemetery. It instigated the exhumation operation to establish whether Mr Lynskey had been secretly buried there by the IRA. In March, the commission said tests had confirmed that the remains did not belong to Mr Lynskey. It said the remains recovered from the grave also did not belong to any member of the family who own the plot. The ICLVR further confirmed that the remains were not those of any of the three other Disappeared victims the commission continues to search for. Eamonn Henry, lead investigator at the ICLVR, announced the latest development at the Annyalla site in a statement on Friday. 'Following the recent exhumation at Annyalla Cemetery in relation to the search for Joe Lynskey, information came to the ICLVR indicating another small area of interest within the confines of the cemetery,' he said. 'This was not another family grave site. 'I want to emphasise that this information did not relate directly to the disappearance of Joe Lynskey and so until we have a positive identification or the elimination of the remains as those of Joe Lynskey or any of the other of the Disappeared, we have to keep an open mind'. He said Ireland's State Pathologist had been notified and the remains have been taken away for technical examination. Mr Henry added: 'We know only too well that the Lynskey family have had hopes raised before only to be bitterly disappointed and so, as ever, expectations have to be managed. 'The process of identification could take some time and we will continue to offer the family what support we can'. Mr Henry renewed the appeal for information on all of the remaining Disappeared cases. 'Regardless of the outcome, this work at Annyalla shows that where we have credible information, we will act on it,' he said. 'This week also marks the 48th anniversary (15 May) of the murder and secret burial of Robert Nairac. 'We need information on his and the other outstanding cases and anyone with information can be assured that it will be treated in the strictest confidence. 'Our humanitarian work is entirely information-driven to get us to the right places where we can use the considerable technical expertise at our disposal to locate the remains of those disappeared and to return them to their loved ones for Christian burial. 'Anyone who helps with that will be doing a great service to families who have suffered so much for so long'.
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Human remains discovered at site of previous search for disappeared Troubles victim
Further fragments of human remains have been found at a site where investigators had carried out a search for disappeared victim of the Troubles, Joe Lynskey. The development comes less than two months after investigators announced that remains exhumed from the cemetery site in Annyalla, Co Monaghan, were not those of Mr Lynskey. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) said other remains have now been found after it received information about a different area of the cemetery that does not incorporate any family graves. Searches were carried out at the cemetery for Joe Lynskey, one of the IRA's Disappeared (WAVE Trauma Centre/PA) The commission stressed that the information did not directly relate to the disappearance of Mr Lynskey. However, investigators said they were keeping an 'open mind', pending the results of tests to determine whether the remains do belong to the IRA murder victim. Mr Lynskey, a former monk from Belfast who later joined the IRA, was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by members of the republican paramilitary group in 1972. He was one of 17 people who were disappeared by republican paramilitaries during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The ICLVR did not become aware that Mr Lynskey was one of the disappeared until 2010. A number of searches since then have all failed to locate his remains. The commission was set up by the UK and Irish governments during the peace process to investigate the whereabouts of the disappeared. Thirteen have been formally found. As well as Mr Lynskey, the commission is also tasked with finding three other disappeared victims — Co Tyrone teenager Columba McVeigh, British Army Captain Robert Nairac, and Seamus Maguire, who was in his mid-20s and from near Lurgan, Co Armagh. The commission opened a grave in November last year after it received information related to 'suspicious' historical activity during the 1970s at a grave in Annyalla cemetery. The site of the first search at Annyalla Cemetery in Co Monaghan, where the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains carried out an exhumation (Jonathan McCambridge/PA) It instigated the exhumation operation to establish whether Mr Lynskey had been secretly buried there by the IRA. In March, the commission said tests had confirmed that the remains did not belong to Mr Lynskey. It said the remains recovered from the grave also did not belong to any member of the family who own the plot. The ICLVR further confirmed that the remains were not those of any of the three other disappeared victims the commission continues to search for. Eamonn Henry, lead investigator at the ICLVR, announced the latest development at the Annyalla site in a statement on Friday. 'Following the recent exhumation at Annyalla Cemetery in relation to the search for Joe Lynskey, information came to the ICLVR indicating another small area of interest within the confines of the cemetery,' he said. 'This was not another family grave site. 'I want to emphasise that this information did not relate directly to the disappearance of Joe Lynskey and so until we have a positive identification or the elimination of the remains as those of Joe Lynskey or any of the other of the disappeared, we have to keep an open mind'. We know only too well that the Lynskey family have had hopes raised before only to be bitterly disappointed and so, as ever, expectations have to be managed He said Ireland's State Pathologist had been notified and the remains have been taken away for technical examination. Mr Henry added: 'We know only too well that the Lynskey family have had hopes raised before only to be bitterly disappointed and so, as ever, expectations have to be managed. 'The process of identification could take some time and we will continue to offer the family what support we can'. Mr Henry renewed the appeal for information on all of the remaining disappeared cases. 'Regardless of the outcome, this work at Annyalla shows that where we have credible information, we will act on it,' he said. 'This week also marks the 48th anniversary (May 15) of the murder and secret burial of Robert Nairac. 'We need information on his and the other outstanding cases and anyone with information can be assured that it will be treated in the strictest confidence. 'Our humanitarian work is entirely information-driven to get us to the right places where we can use the considerable technical expertise at our disposal to locate the remains of those disappeared and to return them to their loved ones for Christian burial. 'Anyone who helps with that will be doing a great service to families who have suffered so much for so long'.
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Human remains discovered at site of previous search for 'Disappeared' victim
Further fragments of human remains have been found at a site where investigators had carried out a search for Disappeared victim of the Troubles, Joe Lynskey. The development comes less than two months after investigators announced that remains exhumed from the cemetery site in Annyalla, Co Monaghan, were not those of Mr Lynskey. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) said other remains have now been found after it received information about a different area of the cemetery that does not incorporate any family graves. The commission stressed that the information did not directly relate to the disappearance of Mr Lynskey. However, investigators said they were keeping an 'open mind', pending the results of tests to determine whether the remains do belong to the IRA murder victim. Mr Lynskey, a former monk from Belfast who later joined the IRA, was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by members of the republican paramilitary group in 1972. He was one of 17 people who were Disappeared by republican paramilitaries during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The ICLVR did not become aware that Mr Lynskey was one of the Disappeared until 2010. A number of searches since then have all failed to locate his remains. The commission was set up by the UK and Irish governments during the peace process to investigate the whereabouts of the Disappeared. Thirteen have been formally found. As well as Mr Lynskey, the commission is also tasked with finding three other Disappeared victims – Co Tyrone teenager Columba McVeigh, British Army Captain Robert Nairac, and Seamus Maguire, who was in his mid-20s and from near Lurgan, Co Armagh. The commission opened a grave in November last year after it received information related to 'suspicious' historical activity during the 1970s at a grave in Annyalla cemetery. It instigated the exhumation operation to establish whether Mr Lynskey had been secretly buried there by the IRA. In March, the commission said tests had confirmed that the remains did not belong to Mr Lynskey. It said the remains recovered from the grave also did not belong to any member of the family who own the plot. The ICLVR further confirmed that the remains were not those of any of the three other Disappeared victims the commission continues to search for. Eamonn Henry, lead investigator at the ICLVR, announced the latest development at the Annyalla site in a statement on Friday. 'Following the recent exhumation at Annyalla Cemetery in relation to the search for Joe Lynskey, information came to the ICLVR indicating another small area of interest within the confines of the cemetery,' he said. 'This was not another family grave site. 'I want to emphasise that this information did not relate directly to the disappearance of Joe Lynskey and so until we have a positive identification or the elimination of the remains as those of Joe Lynskey or any of the other of the Disappeared, we have to keep an open mind'. He said Ireland's State Pathologist had been notified and the remains have been taken away for technical examination. Mr Henry added: 'We know only too well that the Lynskey family have had hopes raised before only to be bitterly disappointed and so, as ever, expectations have to be managed. 'The process of identification could take some time and we will continue to offer the family what support we can.' Mr Henry renewed the appeal for information on all of the remaining Disappeared cases. 'Regardless of the outcome, this work at Annyalla shows that where we have credible information, we will act on it,' he said. 'This week also marks the 48th anniversary (15 May) of the murder and secret burial of Robert Nairac. 'We need information on his and the other outstanding cases and anyone with information can be assured that it will be treated in the strictest confidence. 'Our humanitarian work is entirely information-driven to get us to the right places where we can use the considerable technical expertise at our disposal to locate the remains of those disappeared and to return them to their loved ones for Christian burial. 'Anyone who helps with that will be doing a great service to families who have suffered so much for so long.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fragments of human remains found in search for Joe Lynskey
Fragments of human remains have been found at a site that was previously searched for remains of Joe Lynskey, the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) has said. Mr Lynskey, from west Belfast, is one of the Disappeared - a group of 17 people who were abducted, murdered and secretly buried during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. In March, DNA tests showed that remains found at a search of Annyalla Cemetery in County Monaghan last year, were not those of Mr Lynskey. On Friday, the ICLVR said that information came to them indicating another "small area of interest" within the confines of the cemetery, not another family grave site. In a statement, the lead investigator of the ICLVR Eamonn Henry said he wanted to "emphasise that this information did not relate directly to the disappearance of Joe Lynskey. "Until we have a positive identification or the elimination of the remains as those of Joe Lynskey or any of the other of the Disappeared we have to keep an open mind." The State Pathologist has been notified and the remains have been taken away for technical examination. The Lynskey family have been informed of the development. "We know only too well that the Lynskey family have had hopes raised before only to be bitterly disappointed and so, as ever, expectations have to be managed," Mr Henry said. "The process of identification could take some time and we will continue to offer the family what support we can. "Regardless of the outcome, this work at Annyalla shows that where we have credible information we will act on it." A former Cistercian monk from the Beechmount area of west Belfast, Mr Lynskey later joined the IRA. Mr Lynskey went missing in 1972, and republicans have claimed he was "executed and buried" by the IRA. The A previous search for his remains took place in 2018. It ended without success. Last November, his niece said that his body "needs to be brought home". It was announced in March that human remains exhumed from a grave in County Monaghan in November 2024 were not those of Mr Lynskey. The Disappeared are those who were abducted, murdered and secretly buried by republicans during Northern Ireland's Troubles. Despite extensive and painstaking searches, the bodies have never been found of four out of 17 people listed by a commission set up to locate victims' remains. Searches have been carried out by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains, established in 1999 by a treaty between the British and Irish governments to obtain information in strictest confidence that may lead to where the bodies are buried. So far, the remains of 13 of the Disappeared have been recovered. The remaining four are Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Seamus Maguire and Robert Nairac. The disappearance of Seamus Maguire was taken on as a new case by the ICLVR in 2022, and, last month, a fresh appeal was made for information relating to his disappearance. A renewed search Robert Nairac's remains ended without success in October 2024. A sixth search for Columba McVeigh ended in November 2023. The plight of the Disappeared has been further highlighted in recent months due to the release of the Disney+ series, Say Nothing. Remains found in grave not those of Disappeared victim Remains exhumed from cemetery in Disappeared search Who were the Disappeared? Fresh appeal launched for Disappeared Seamus Maguire
