The Disappeared

There were sixteen people who ‘disappeared’ during the troubles in Northern Ireland. The Provisional IRA admitted responsibility for thirteen of the sixteen, while one was admitted by the INLA. No attribution has been given to the remaining two. To date the remains of ten victims have been recovered. 

Joseph Lynskey

Joseph Lynskey was a former Cistercian monk from the Beechmount area of west Belfast. He went missing during the summer of 1972. His remains have yet to be located.

Seamus Wright
Seamus Wright was from Belfast and was working as an asphalt layer. He was married and 25 years old when he went missing in October 1972. Despite extensive searches undertaken by Commission at Coghalstown, Co. Meath his remains have yet to be located.

Kevin McKee
Kevin McKee was from Belfast and he disappeared in October 1972. Based on information, the Commission have carried out extensive searches at Coghalstown Co. Meath for the remains of Kevin McKee, as well as those of Seamus Wright, but his remains have yet to be recovered.

Jean McConville
Jean McConville was a widowed mother of ten from west Belfast. She was 37 years old when she was abducted and killed in December 1972. In August 2003 her remains were found at Shelling Hill beach in County Louth and recovered by An Garda Síochána.

Peter Wilson

Peter Wilson disappeared from his home in west Belfast in August 1973. He was 21 years old. His name was added to the list of the Disappeared in 2009 after new information became available.  His remains were found at Waterfoot beach in County Antrim in November 2010.

Eamon Molloy

Eamon Molloy was abducted from his home in the Ardoyne area of Belfast in July 1975. He was named by the IRA as one of "the disappeared" in a statement issued by them in 1999.  Following information received by the Commission in 1999, his body was discovered in a coffin left in a cemetery near Dundalk, Co. Louth.

Columba McVeigh
Columba McVeigh from Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone was 19 years old when he was abducted and killed in October 1975. Although extensive searches, based on information received, have been carried out at Bragan bog in Co. Monaghan his remains have yet to be recovered.

Robert Nairac

Captain Robert Nairac was an officer with the Grenadier Guards on a tour of duty in Northern Ireland when he was abducted in Co. Antrim in May 1977 and murdered.  He was 29 years old.  His remains have yet to be recovered.  A man was convicted of the murder of Captain Nairac in 1977. Captain Nairac received a posthumous George Cross.

Brendan Megraw
Brendan Megraw was a 23 year old married man from west Belfast. His wife was expecting their first baby when he was abducted from his home in April 1978. Extensive searches, based on information received by the Commission, were carried out at a location in Oristown, Co. Meath and his remains were finally recovered in October 2014.

John McClory

John McClory was from west Belfast and was 18 years old when he was abducted and killed, together with his friend Brian McKinney, in May 1978. Following information received by the Commission in 1999 a search of the bogland at Colgagh, Iniskeen, Co. Monaghan was undertaken. After 30 days of searching, a double grave containing the remains of John McClory and Brian McKinney was discovered. 

Brian McKinney 

Brian McKinney was a Housing Executive Worker from Andersonstown in west Belfast. He was 22 years old when he disappeared in May 1978. He was abducted together with John McClory (see above).  Following information received by the Commission in 1999 a search of the bogland at Colgagh, Iniskeen, Co. Monaghan was undertaken. After 30 days of searching, a double grave containing the remains of John McClory and Brian McKinney was discovered.

Gerard (Gerry) Evans

Gerry Evans was a 24 year old painter who disappeared in March 1979 as he was on his way home to Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh. In October 2010, following information received by the Commission, his remains were recovered from a site in Carrickrobin, Co. Louth. Gerard Evans was not included on the list of missing people issued by the IRA in 1999 and, to date, no group has admitted responsibility for his murder.

Danny McIlhone

Danny McIlhone was from West Belfast and went missing in July 1981. Two searches for his remains in 1999 and 2000 proved unsuccessful.  However, following information received by the Commission, his remains were recovered in bogland near the Blessington Lakes in Co. Wicklow in 2008.

Charlie Armstrong

Charlie Armstrong was a married father of five from Crossmaglen in Co. Armagh.  He was 54 years old when he was abducted and killed in August 1981 while on his way to collect a neighbour to go to mass. In July 2010 the Commission recovered his remains in County Monaghan. Charlie Armstrong was not included on the list of missing people issued by the IRA in 1999 and, to date, no group has admitted responsibility for his murder.

Eugene Simons
Eugene Simons disappeared on New Year’s Day 1981. His body was found three years later (prior to the establishment of the Commission) on 24 May 1984 in a bog in Knockbridge, Dundalk, Co. Louth.

Seamus Ruddy

Seamus Ruddy, from Newry, was a 33 year old teacher of English in Paris, France when he disappeared in May 1985. In December 1995 the INLA admitted responsibility for his death. In February 1999 information emerged to suggest that his body was buried in Rouen, France, but despite searches having been carried out his remains have not yet been recovered.