Search to begin in north Louth for remains of Robert Nairac

A search got underway in the Faughart area of Couty Louth yesterday, Monday, for the remains of one of the Disappeared, Robert Nairac.

The Joint Commissioners of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), Tim Dalton and Rosalie Flanagan approved plans to conduct the search. This will be the first search for the remains of Robert Nairac since he was murdered and secretly buried in May 1977.

The British Army officer is believed to have been abducted by the Provisional IRA while on an undercover operation in a pub in south Armagh in 1977 and taken across the border to Flurry Bridge in County Louth where he was killed.

The remains of the Grenadier Guards captain have never been found.
Capt Nairac is considered to be part of a group of 16 people, known as the Disappeared, who were killed and secretly buried by paramilitary groups.

Speaking as the search was about to get underway yesterday (Monday), Jon Hill, the Lead Investigator of the ICLVR said: “Robert Nairac is one of the highest profile Disappeared and yet his case is one in which we have had very little to go on. We believe that we do now have sufficient credible information to warrant a search.

“This search will differ in a number of respects from that recently completed —regrettably without success—for Columba McVeigh at Bragan Bog, Co Monaghan. First of all it is being carried out on private land and the land owner and tenant farmer have asked us not to reveal its precise location for reasons of privacy which we fully understand and I hope that is respected particularly by the media as the search gets underway.

“I want to make it clear that neither the landowner nor the tenant have any connection whatsoever with our decision to search in this particular location. 

“The area itself is relatively small, less than one acre, and farmland is inherently more stable than the bogland we have had to work on in other searches for the Disappeared. And so while the weather is always a factor we have to deal with I would hope that we will get a relatively clear run at this one”.

He went on to explain that the site was part of an area of significant archaeological interest. “We are grateful for the support and co-operation of the National Monuments Service who have an interest in the wider area in which the Hill of Faughart has been identified as a 14th century battle site.

“Given that, we may uncover archaeology or even historic remains. We have taken additional measures to cater for that eventuality and so we don’t anticipate that causing any insurmountable issues with our search.

“In terms of timescale, as with all our searches, it will continue until we have found the remains that we are looking for or are satisfied that they are not there. We are not time limited but given the relatively small area by our standards I do not anticipate a protracted search period of many months.

“The Nairac family have been told that a search is about to commence and we will of course keep them informed of any developments”. Mr Hill told a press conference on Monday that: “The family are aware and they are philosophical,” he added. “They are very private people and they have no wish to make any comment other than they hope Robert can be found and brought home for a Christian burial.”

The lead investigator also said he was hopeful that the publicity around a television adaptation of a book based on the case of Jean McConville – who was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1972 – would encourage people to come forward with information.

Mr Hill, in a statement sent to the dundalk Democrat, concluded: “I am not going to put a number on the degree of confidence that we have that we will find the remains of Robert Nairac but what I can say is that if they are there we have the skills, ability and experience to find them”.

Anyone with information on any of the four outstanding ICLVR Disappeared cases —Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire— should contact the ICLVR. All information is treated in the strictest confidence.

The ICLVR can be contacted by telephone: +353 1 602 8655; e-mail information to: Secretary@iclvr.ie; or by post to: ICLVR PO Box 10827. CrimeStoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111 and the untraceable anonymous online form is at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.