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Jay Martin, 8, places a candle among other tributes at a vigil for Kyran Durnin in Market Square, Dundalk. Alamy Stock Photo
Louth
Vigil held in Dundalk for missing schoolboy Kyran Durnin
The eight-year-old boy is presumed dead and gardaí have launched a murder investigation.
A VIGIL WAS held for missing schoolboy Kyran Durnin in Dundalk last night.
The event in Market Square was the second such community gathering organised for the eight-year-old, who is presumed dead.
Dozens of local people congregated for the vigil in the Co Louth town, with some placing lit candles beneath a large advertising screen that displayed a picture collage of Kyran along with the message “Where is wee Kyran Durnin?”.
Kyran was reported missing with his mother in August. She has been located, but Kyran has not been seen in two years.
Gardaí suspect that the young boy was killed up to two years ago.
A murder investigation was launched by gardaí after they were unable to find any evidence that he was alive.
Last week, investigators searched a former family home in Dundalk and adjoining lands.
The house that was searched is known to have been Kyran’s family home for a period of years up to May 2024. Gardaí stressed that the current tenants of this house are not connected in any way with Kyran or his disappearance.
Gardaí said the results of the searches are not being released for “operational purposes”.
Sources said it is anticipated that other locations will be searched by the gardaí.
Monday’s vigil was organised by Brittany McEnteggart, who lives in the town.
“These little vigils of hope will hopefully continue until we find him and bring him home – that’s the ultimate goal here,” she said.
“I would like to have them continuously until Kyran’s case is solved
“It just brings people together and brings out what we need to do and it keeps his case at the forefront of the news, which is super important.”
Last week, Ireland’s Child and Family Agency, Tusla, said it had raised a “significant concern” around the missing child to gardaí in August.
The Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said that he expects a report by Tusla into the case to be completed this week.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week with Justin McCarthy on Sunday, O’Gorman said there were “very clearly failings” in the case and that was why he had engaged with the Independent National Review Panel to investigate while the case with the gardaí was still ongoing.
“A child has been missing for two years, so there’s very clearly failings,” he said.
“Very clearly something went wrong in this case, and I need to understand why, and government needs to understand why this happened, that we have a National Review Panel in this country where a child who is known to Tusla dies.
“That national review panel gives us that independent understanding of that child’s engagement with Tusla with other state agencies, and allows us to understand what happened and allows us to make necessary changes.”
Anyone who has any information in connection with the disappearance of Kyran is asked to contact Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on (1800) 666 111 or any Garda Station.
With reporting from Press Association
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