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Disappeared (Northern Ireland)

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Main articles: The Troubles and Forced disappearance

The Disappeared are people from Northern Ireland believed to have been abducted, murdered and secretly buried,[1] the large majority of which occurred during the Troubles. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) is in charge of locating the remaining bodies,[2] and was led by forensic archaeologist John McIlwaine.[3]

Background

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Of the sixteen people investigated by the ICLVR, all were Irish Catholics (Jean McConville was a convert), all except Jean McConville were male, and all are believed to have been abducted and killed by Irish Republicans.[4][5][6]

The Provisional IRA admitted to being involved in the forced disappearance of nine of the sixteen: Eamon Molloy, Seamus Wright, Kevin McKee, Jean McConville, Columba McVeigh, Brendan Megraw, John McClory, Brian McKinney, and Danny McIlhone. British Army officer Robert Nairac, who disappeared from South Armagh, was a Mauritius-born Roman Catholic.[7][8] The organisation said they could only accurately locate the body of one of their victims, but gave rough ideas for the remaining eight.[9][10] As of September 2017, the remains of three of the victims have still not been found.

History

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1970s

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Joseph Lynskey (40), a veteran Irish Republican paramilitary and IRA member from Cavendish Street in Belfast, disappeared during a violent internal IRA feud in the city in August 1972. In 2009 Dolours Price, a former IRA member, stated in an interview with a newspaper that she drove the car which took him out of Northern Ireland to an IRA safe house in County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland shortly before his disappearance. In January 2010 the IRA issued a statement that Lynskey had been killed as part of an internal disciplinary process, and his body had subsequently been buried in an unmarked grave. In November 2024, the ICVLR reported that it had carried out an exhumation of remains in an Annyalla cemetery, having received information about suspicious activity in the graveyard coinciding with the "timeframe and the location" of Lynskey's disappearance.[11]

Jean McConville, a widowed mother of 10, disappeared in December 1972. Her body was found on a beach in County Louth, Republic of Ireland, in 2003; in October 2014 a man was arrested in connection with her murder,[12] and two further men were arrested in December 2014.[13]

Peter Wilson, 21, a native of West Belfast, with five siblings, was described as "a vulnerable man with learning difficulties".[14] He was abducted by the IRA in the summer of 1973, somewhere in the St James area of Belfast, killed and secretly buried at Waterfoot, County Antrim.[15]

Columba McVeigh, a 19-year-old from Donaghmore, County Tyrone, disappeared in 1975. The IRA alleges he had confessed to being a British Army agent, instructed to infiltrate the IRA.[16]

Brendan Megraw disappeared in 1978. In August 2014 a bog in County Meath was searched for his body,[17] with human remains discovered in September.[18]

Gerard Evans, 24, was a man from Crossmaglen, South Armagh, who disappeared while hitchhiking in County Monaghan in March 1979.[19] In March 2008 a map was given to Evans' aunt. In 2008, the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains appealed for more information regarding his disappearance.[20] Remains were found in County Louth in October 2010,[21] which were later confirmed as being Evans' in November 2010.[22] An alleged member of the Provisional IRA South Armagh Brigade told the Sunday Tribune that Evans was executed for being an informer.[23]

1980s

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Charles Armstrong was a 54-year-old father-of-five who went missing in Crossmaglen while walking to Mass in 1981; his car was later found in Dundalk, County Louth.[19] The IRA denied any involvement in his disappearance at the time. Armstrong's family began a fresh, private search for his remains in October 2003.[24] They were located in County Monaghan, Ireland in July 2010.[25] No reason has ever been publicly given for Armstrong's abduction and murder.

2000s

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In September 2015 the bodies of Seamus Wright and Kevin McKee were found in a bog in Coghalstown, County Meath.[26]

In May 2017 a body was found by the ICLVR in a forest in northern France outside Rouen identified as that of Seamus Ruddy.[27]

There were two further disappearances in the 2000s. Gareth O'Connor, believed to have been a member of the Real IRA, disappeared while driving from Armagh to Dundalk in 2003. His body was discovered in Newry in 2005.[28][29] In March 2005, Lisa Dorrian disappeared after attending a party at a caravan park in Ballyhalbert. She is believed to have been kidnapped by loyalists. There is speculation that the crime is related to illegal drug trade.[28][30][31]

List of Disappeared

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Name Location[a] Age Year of disappearance Year of body being found Suspects Reference(s)
Charles Armstrong Crossmaglen 54 1981 2010 Republicans [32]
Gerard Evans County Monaghan, Ireland 24 1979 2010 Republicans [32]
Joe Lynskey Belfast 40 1972 Still missing Republicans [19][33][34][35]
John McClory Belfast 17 1978 1999 Republicans [19][36]
Jean McConville Belfast 38 1972 2003 Republicans [19][37]
Danny McIlhone Belfast 21 1981 2008 Republicans [19][38][39]
Kevin McKee South Armagh 17 1972 2015 Republicans [19][40][41]
Brian McKinney Belfast 22 1978 1999 Republicans [19][42]
Columba McVeigh Dublin, Ireland 17 1975 Still missing Republicans [19][43][44]
Brendan Megraw Belfast 24 1978 2014 Republicans [18][19]
Eamon Molloy Belfast 22 1975 1999 Republicans [19][45][46]
Robert Nairac Dromintee, South Armagh 28 1977 Still missing Republicans [19][47][48]
Seamus Ruddy Paris, France 32 1985 2017 INLA [19][49][50][51]
Eugene Simons Castlewellan, County Down 26 1981 1984 Republicans [19]
Peter Wilson Belfast 21 1973 2010 Republicans [19][52][53][54]
Seamus Wright South Armagh 25 1972 2015 Republicans [19][40]

Disappearances since 1999

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Name Location Age Year of disappearance Year of body being found Suspects Reference(s)
Lisa Dorrian Ballyhalbert 25 2005 Still missing Loyalists [28]
Gareth O'Connor Newtownhamilton 24 2003 2005 Republicans [29]
  1. ^ Location of disappearance; in Northern Ireland unless otherwise stated

References

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  1. ^ "About the Disappeared". The Disappeared of Northern Ireland. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Never lose heart, 'disappeared' families told". BBC News. 4 June 1999. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  3. ^ "The Disappeared: Archaeologist John McIlwaine dies". BBC News. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  4. ^ Northern Ireland Disappeared, reuters.com; accessed 7 September 2015.
  5. ^ "The Disappeared". Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Disappeared issue 'a festering wound' says McGuinness". BBC News. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  7. ^ Robert Nairac profile, bbc.co.uk; accessed 7 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Profiles of the 'disappeared'". BBC News. 28 May 1999. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  9. ^ "'Disappeared' return to haunt Ireland's conscience". BBC News. 7 June 1999. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  10. ^ "IRA: No more clues on 'disappeared'". BBC News. 1 June 1999. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  11. ^ "The Disappeared: Remains exhumed from Monaghan cemetery". BBC News. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  12. ^ "Jean McConville murder: 73-year-old man arrested in Dunmurry". BBC News. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  13. ^ "Jean McConville murder: Two men arrested over 'Disappeared' death". BBC News. 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  14. ^ "Peter Wilson: 'Disappeared' by the IRA, found at the beach his family treasured". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  15. ^ "CAIN: Sutton Index of Deaths". Cain.ulst.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  16. ^ "Adams 'at heart' of IRA's most shameful killing campaign", The Guardian, 30 September 2002.
  17. ^ "Remains The Disappeared: Meath bog to be searched for Brendan Megraw". BBC News. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  18. ^ a b "The Disappeared: Human remains found in search for Brendan Megraw". BBC News. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Who were the 'Disappeared'?". BBC News. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  20. ^ "Appeal from Disappeared searchers". BBC News. 1 October 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  21. ^ "Family of "Disappeared" Gerry Evans hope for closure". BBC News. 19 October 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  22. ^ "Remains were 'Disappeared' Crossmaglen man Gerry Evans". BBC News. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  23. ^ Suzanne Breen (17 October 2010). "Masked IRA man's map leads to body in Louth". Sunday Tribune. Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  24. ^ "Fresh 'Disappeared' search". BBC News. 22 October 2003. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  25. ^ "Widow's relief as remains found in 'Disappeared' search". BBC News. 31 July 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  26. ^ Wright and McKee bodies located, bbc.co.uk; accessed 10 September 2015.
  27. ^ "Seamus Ruddy: Human remains found in search of French forest". belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  28. ^ a b c Draft List of Deaths Related to the Conflict from 2002, cain.ulst.ac.uk; accessed 7 September 2015.
  29. ^ a b "Gareth O'Connor". The Disappeared of Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  30. ^ "Lisa Dorrian". The Disappeared of Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  31. ^ Henry McDonald (31 July 2005). "Looking for Lisa". The Observer. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  32. ^ a b "RTÉ Special report". RTÉ News. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  33. ^ "Commission to investigate Joe Lynskey death". BBC News. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  34. ^ "Forty years later, IRA finally admits to man's 'execution'". Belfast Telegraph. 9 February 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  35. ^ "Buried Secrets". The Pensive Quill. 19 February 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  36. ^ "Body finds encourage searchers". BBC News. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  37. ^ "Jean McConville's daughter recalls mother's abduction by IRA". BBC News. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  38. ^ "Family of IRA victim 'at peace'". BBC News. 19 December 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  39. ^ "Missing man shot dead after struggle with IRA abductors". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  40. ^ a b Rosie Cowan (30 September 2002). "Adams 'at heart' of IRA's most shameful killing campaign". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  41. ^ McNamee, Michael Sheils (14 September 2015). "After "43 years of pain" IRA victim Kevin McKee is laid to rest". TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  42. ^ "'My tears for Brian'". BBC News. 17 July 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  43. ^ "Columba McVeigh: Brother calls for more information from IRA". BBC News. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  44. ^ "Columba McVeigh". The Disappeared of Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  45. ^ "'Disappeared' victim identified". BBC News. 20 July 1999. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  46. ^ "A prayer before dying: IRA took priest to Disappeared victim before murder". BBC News. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  47. ^ "McGuinness in Nairac body appeal". BBC News. 20 June 2007. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  48. ^ "RTE Prime Time Cased Profile (with video)". RTE PrimeTime. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  49. ^ "Family of INLA murder man misled". BBC News. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  50. ^ "Remains found in France confirmed to be Seamus Ruddy". The Journal.ie. 10 May 2017.
  51. ^ Brennan, Eoin. "The Disappeared: The life and death of Seamus Ruddy". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  52. ^ "Fresh 'Disappeared' dig for Peter Wilson announced". BBC News. 26 October 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  53. ^ "Remains were 'Disappeared' man Peter Wilson's". BBC News. 14 December 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  54. ^ "Inquest into death of 'Disappeared' man Peter Wilson". BBC News. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
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