Wasteland search for child missing presumed dead

The search for eight-year-old Kyran Durnin has shifted from his former family residence in County Louth to an area of wasteland located behind the property. Kyran was reported missing at the end of August, but last week, Irish police, known as gardaí, announced that he is now “presumed dead” and have launched a murder investigation.

Kyran and his family resided in a house on Emer Terrace in Dundalk until May 2024, and a forensic examination of the rented property commenced on Tuesday. This terrace house is approximately 20 miles north of Drogheda, where both Kyran and his mother were last seen on August 30.

His 24-year-old mother, Dayla Durnin, has since been found and is no longer considered a missing person. The gardaí emphasized that the current tenants of the residence on Emer Terrace are not affiliated with Kyran’s disappearance in any way.

While the inquiry into the missing boy began less than two months ago, reports previously indicated that detectives suspect Kyran may have been killed over two years ago. It’s believed that Kyran was a student at St. Nicholas Monastery national primary school until the summer of 2022, though the school has refrained from commenting due to the ongoing investigation.

The past interactions of the Durnin family with Irish child protection services are currently under review by an independent national body. Tusla, the state agency overseeing child welfare and protection, has also initiated an internal review regarding their dealings with Kyran’s family.

Tanya Ward, the CEO of the Children’s Rights Alliance in Ireland, labeled Kyran’s case as “shocking and disturbing,” questioning how a child could go missing from both family and community for two years without authorities being notified. She expressed that this situation, occurring in Ireland in 2024, raises serious concerns for those working with children.

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Simon Harris shared his dismay over the situation, referring to it as “utterly horrifying.”

Conor Lally, the security and crime editor for The Irish Times, remarked on the profound sadness surrounding Kyran’s case, noting the unusual nature of it given that he hadn’t attended school since the prior academic year began. He mentioned that it appeared the family had expressed intentions of relocating to Northern Ireland, which could have led to assumptions that Kyran’s absence from school was due to that move.

Candlelit vigils took place in both Dundalk and Drogheda following the announcement that Kyran’s disappearance was being treated as a murder case, with at least 50 people attending the first event organized by Brittany McEnteggart, who has been closely following the case since its inception. She conveyed her anger about the prolonged disappearance of a child without alarm being raised and emphasized the significance of keeping the issue in the public eye.

Local residents expressed disbelief that such a distressing situation could occur in their community, as gardaí conducted searches at the family’s former home and the surrounding area.