Excavation works and searches of wasteland behind former home of missing Kyran Durnin to resume Thursday morning

Excavation works and searches of wasteland behind the former home of missing Kyran Durnin are to resume Thursday morning.

Eight-year-old Kyran, from Drogheda, Co Louth hasn’t been seen in over two years. It’s understood his last sighting was in Dundalk, Co Louth in May 2022.

He was reported missing to An Garda Siochana on Friday, August 30. A murder investigation was launched last week by investigators at Drogheda Garda Station.

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On Tuesday, Gardaí commenced a search of the missing, presumed dead, boy’s former home on Emer Terrace in Dundalk, Co Louth in a bid to find evidence.

This search also involved excavation works on the back garden. And yesterday morning, just after 9am, the search moved to wasteland behind a six-foot wall to the rear of the back garden.

The wasteland is covered in large bushes and trees as well as bags of household waste and rubbish that has been there for years.

Several officers from the Technical Unit were seen carrying large slash hooks, strimmers, and hedge cutters while a large digger was also moved onto the site on Thursday morning.

An officer carried several empty brown paper evidence bags onto the site on Wednesday afternoon. However, as of last night, the search is understood not to have yielded any significant evidence. And Thursday morning, the excavation and search of the wasteland are set to resume.

“Progress was made clearing some of the ground and that will continue this morning,” a source told this paper.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern told the press: “The purpose of these searches are to discover any evidence which might provide us with information as to Kyran’s current whereabouts or what has happened to Kyran.”

Chief Supt McGovern said, “The house is known to have been Kyran’s family home for a period of years up to May 2024.”

However, Chief Supt McGovern emphasised that “the current tenants of this house are not connected in any way with Kyran or his disappearance.”

Chief Supt McGovern said An Garda Siochana is liaising closely with other state agencies, including Tusla, who are cooperating and assisting fully with this murder investigation.

He said, “An Garda Siochana’s sole focus and primary concern, and that of the investigation team is Kyran."

He also reiterated an appeal for people to come forward with any information they have in connection with Kyran’s disappearance. “We want to discover where Kyran is. We want to discover what has happened to Kyran,” he said

“Do not rule out any information that you may have,” he said. “Please don't assume that the investigation team knows the information that you may have,” he told the public.

“Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, will be welcomed by the investigation team. This information will be treated in the strictest confidence.”

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