Columba McVeigh: Search for remains of IRA victim paused

A search for the remains of a man the IRA abducted, murdered and secretly buried almost 50 years ago has been paused.

Investigators began a fresh search for Columba McVeigh at Bragan Bog, near Emyvale, in County Monaghan in October.

He is one of the so-called Disappeared.

John Hill, the senior investigator co-ordinating the search, said weather conditions would make the bog too dangerous to continue to work on over winter.

"Working on bogland is a significant challenge at the best of times," he said.

"We have now paused the search for the winter period to maximise our opportunities for discovery when weather and ground conditions have improved.

"Any suspension of a search is deeply frustrating for the McVeigh family but they understand the reasons for it."

There is no definite date for resuming the search, but it will not be until 2023.

There have been five previous searches of the area since 1999, but the search is taking place in a part of the bog that has not been excavated before.

Experts are convinced Mr McVeigh was secretly buried there in 1975.

The new search, conducted by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR), is one four unresolved cases being looked by the commission.

Other victims still to be located are Joe Lynskey, Seamus McGuire and Army officer Robert Nairac.

The ICLVR has so far located the remains of 13 people since it was established by the British and Irish governments in 1999.

The majority of the murders took place in the 1970s, with victims abducted in Northern Ireland and mostly killed and buried at locations in the Republic of Ireland.

The Provisional IRA has admitted responsibility for 13 of the murders and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) one.