The scene at the search for the remains of Joe Lynskey.Photo: Barry Cronin.

Remains found in search for disappeared man joe lynskey

BREAKING NEWS - a second set of remains have been found at the site at Coghalstown, where two more bodies of the Disappeared are believed to be buried - Seamus Wright and Kevin McKee. An anxious wait now awaits three families.

 

 

Human remains have been discoved in the search for the remains of Joe Lynskey, one of 'The Disappeared', in Coghalstown, outside Navan.

Joe Lynskey disappeared from Belfast in the summer of 1972. A former Cistercian monk, he is understood to have been a member of the Provisional IRA. Information was made available to the ICLVR that he had been killed and buried secretly in Co Meath.

Following the discovery of human remains today, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald has expressed the hope that another of the families of the Disappeared will be able to give their loved one a proper burial.

A positive identification has yet to be made, however, the remains were discovered by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains at the site where the search for the remains of Joe Lynskey was being carried out.

“I hope the discovery of remains in Co. Meath will allow another chapter to be closed in the tragic saga of the Disappeared,' Ms Fitzgerald said.

“For a family to be bereaved but denied the opportunity to bury their loved one is a trauma that is hard to imagine. At this time I would like to remember all of the families of the Disappeared and the suffering which they have endured. In particular, my thoughts are with those families who still await recovery of the remains of their loved ones.

“I want also to recognise the dedicated work of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains and its project team. I want to assure them and the families of the other Disappeared of my and the Government's support for their ongoing work.”

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD welcomed news that the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains has recovered human remains in County Meath which are believed to be those of Belfast man Joe Lynskey.

Gerry Adams said: “I welcome this news. I hope the identity of the remains can be quickly verified and that this discovery will bring some closure to the family and loved ones of Joe Lynskey.

“This is the 11th set of remains recovered since the Commission was established. I want to appeal again for anyone with any information on those remains still not found to bring that information forward to the families, to the Commission or myself.

“Any information passed to the Commission cannot be used in a court of law or transmitted to any other agency and those passing on this information have absolute immunity in relation to this information.”