New information led to exhumation in Disappeared search

New information prompted the exhumation of human remains from a grave in Co Monaghan as part of a search for one of the Disappeared.

The remains were taken from a single grave at Annyalla Cemetery in Co Monaghan, which is located between the towns of Castleblayney and Clontibret.

The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) said it had received information of "suspicious historic activity" at a grave in the cemetery in the 1970s.

It said that the timeframe coincided with the disappearance of Joe Lynskey - an IRA member and former Cistercian monk.

Mr Lynskey was only confirmed as one of the Disappeared in 2010 - a group of 17 people who were abducted, shot and secretly buried by republican paramilitaries during the Troubles.

ICLVR lead investigator Jon Hill said fresh information had come in which supported some the commission had already received and which led it to seek the exhumation order.

He said it was a "very big step" and not something that was "done lightly".

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster, Mr Hill said he was not prepared to say who the grave belonged to out of respect for the family, but confirmed that several sets of human remains had been recovered from it.

A forensic anthropologist has been asked to assist with that operation.

The remains recovered from the cemetery have been taken for analysis, to establish and confirm their identities. It is believed that process may take some time.

Mr Hill said the issue of identification would "take as long as it takes", and that the Lynskey family had been informed and were being briefed on developments.

"I think they're cautiously optimistic," he said.

"But you have to remember that they've been in this position before where they've been disappointed, but of course they are hopeful."

Mr Hill said the commission had received information in the past claiming members of the Disappeared had been concealed in legitimate graves.

He said it had happened between 10-12 times and was not unusual.

Only once before had it carried out an exhumation and on that occasion the information had proven to be incorrect.

Mr Hill said the exhumation operation had been in the planning for several months.

He also said he did not believe that the information had come forward as a result of a recent Disney + drama which looks at the issue of the Disappeared.

The Lynskey family have objected to the programme and have said they would not be watching.

Searches carried out in 2015 and 2018

Mr Lynskey disappeared in the summer of 1972.

In 2015, the ICLVR searched a site at Coghalstown, Co Meath, for his remains, but did not find any.

However, the bodies of two other members of the Disappeared, Seamus Wright and Kevin McKee were recovered during the dig.

A further search for Mr Lynskey was carried out in 2018 at nearby Oristown, Co Meath.

Again nothing was found.

This autumn, the ICLVR also carried out searches at Faughart, Co Louth for the remains of Captain Robert Nairac.

The undercover British soldier was abducted from a south Armagh pub in the 1970s and shot dead at Ravensdale.

Nothing was found during the search operation.

Of the 17 listed members of the Disappeared, 13 have been found over the years.

The remains of Mr Lynskey, along with those of Nairac, Co Tyrone teenager Columba McVeigh and Séamus Maguire, who was in his mid-20s and from near Lurgan, Co Armagh, have not been recovered.