The investigation into the missing Co Louth youngster, Kyran Durnin, that started a month ago remains unresolved as to the circumstances or place of his death. The police haven’t ruled out that he might have died by other means, possibly accidental, or in some unintended situation. Despite these uncertainties and extensive investigations, particularly after the case was upgraded to murder, evidences that Kyran lived beyond mid-2022 are yet to be found. He was six then. New searches within the Co Louth vicinity will commence possibly this week.
The disappearance of a child of such tender age and unnoticed for perhaps two and a half years leaves Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, Justice Minister Helen McEntee, and Children’s minister Roderic O’Gorman shocked and dismayed. Tusla, the child and family agency, attests to being in contact with the Durnin family; albeit Kyran was not under Tusla’s care. It’s speculated that the family had a meeting with Tusla’s staff earlier this year. However, Kyran was notably absent.
Public reports claiming to have seen the boy are being investigated by the Gardaí. There’s information suggesting that earlier this year, he was with his family in Dundalk. But this remains unconfirmed as there’s no evidence found that attests to Kyran’s life post mid-2022, last seen at his Dundalk national school.
A month prior, Tusla voiced concerns about Kyran’s safety to the Garda, prompting a missing persons probe to ascertain the location of both the boy and his mother, 24-year-old Dayla Durnin. A report of their disappearance was lodged by a relative with the Garda on August 30th, the day following Tusla’s expression of worries, with the revelation of their missing status from Dundalk occurring on the morning of August 29th.
Assistance from Suffolk’s police force was enlisted by the Gardaí in their efforts to track down Ms. Durnin. Upon her detection two weeks ago, the missing persons case for mother and son was discontinued. Simultaneously, the investigation concerning Kyran’s fate escalated to a murder inquiry by the gardaí.
The classification elevation of the inquiry granted the investigation squad enhanced authority to carry out arrests and apply for search warrants. Post this elevation, the gardaí have scrutinised phone and social media data of individuals of interest, and conducted a search and excavation at the erstwhile Durnin family residence on Emer Terrace in Dundalk over the past week.
The search in Dundalk was aimed at finding any traces of Kyran’s activities from the last two years as the Durnins resided at the said location up until May of the previous year. An excavation was carried out in the backyard and an adjacent piece of land, but no findings were unearthed.