Investigators have confirmed that the remains exhumed from a graveyard in Co Monaghan in November are not those of Joe Lynskey, the Belfast man who was ‘disappeared’ by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1972 during the Troubles.
The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) confirmed on Sunday, March 23 that the remains that were exhumed from Annyalla Cemetery four months ago are not those of Lynskey.
“The results of the DNA examination of the remains have now eliminated them as being those of the family to whom the grave belongs and now also eliminated them as being those of Joe Lynskey or any of the Disappeared,” the ICLVR said on Sunday, according to the PA.
“All the interested parties including the Lynskey family have been informed.
“We know that this news is deeply disappointing for the Lynskey family and the thoughts of everyone in the commission are with them at this most difficult time.
“We are also conscious that this was a distressing experience for the family whose grave was opened to facilitate the exhumation.
“We are grateful for their co-operation and support at all stages of the process.
“The commission will continue to do everything in its power to locate and recover the remains of all of the outstanding Disappeared cases.
“We would again appeal to anyone with information relating to Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac, or Seamus Maguire to bring it to the ICLVR where it will be treated in the strictest confidence.”
The PA added that An Garda Siochana is now attempting to identify the remains.
“An Garda Siochana has notified the local coroner, and An Garda Siochana has commenced enquiries to assist the local coroner to determine the correct identification of the remains exhumed on November 26 2024,” a spokesperson said.
On Monday, Ireland’s Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris said in a social media post that he was thinking of the Lynskey family “at this very sad and difficult time.”
He added that he is grateful for the ICLVR’s ongoing work and called for a renewed appeal for information about the Disappeared.
We are grateful for the ongoing work of the Commission For the Location of Victims Remains. We must renew our appeal for anybody with any information, no matter how small, to come forward and give these families some element of closure after so many years
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) March 24, 2025
Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan TD, also expressed his disappointment on Monday.
“When the Commission announced that unidentified remains had been found following an exhumation late last year, we all hoped that they would be identified as those of Joe Lynskey,” O’Callaghan said.
“I held hope that the Lynskey family would finally be able to lay him to rest. I am saddened that this is not the case.
“Today, my thoughts again are with the Lynskey family who have had to endure this particular cruelty for over 50 years.”
The Minister added: “I would also acknowledge that this experience has been distressing for the family whose grave was opened in order to carry out the exhumation and I am thankful for their understanding in such difficult circumstances.”
O’Callaghan commended the ICLVR and its work and assured it of the Government’s support.
“The Commission will continue its vital work and I appeal again, today, to anyone with any information that could help the families of Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey, Robert Nairac, and Seamus Maguire to share this information with the Commission now.”
Who is Joe Lynskey?
Joe Lynskey, a former Cistercian monk from the Beechmount area of West Belfast, disappeared in the summer of 1972 during The Troubles. He is regarded as the first person to have been ‘disappeared’ during The Troubles.
In December 2009, The Irish News ran an exclusive story revealing that Lynskey had been murdered and secretly buried by the IRA, of which he was a member.
According to The Irish News: “Lynskey’s fate was sealed after he had a relationship with the wife of another IRA man and, acting without the sanction of the organization he ordered his love rival be shot.
“The man survived the gun attack but confusion around who ordered the shooting lead to raised tensions between the then fledging Provisional and the Official IRA who it was initially thought carried out the murder attempt.”
Likely spurred by The Irish News story, confirmation that Lynskey was “executed and buried” by the IRA came the following month during a briefing conducted by a man who once operated as the IRA’s ‘P O’Neill,’ the organization’s leadership spokesman.
According to The Belfast Telegraph in 2010, the briefing revealed that in 1972, the IRA executed and buried Joe Lynskey; that Lynskey was an IRA volunteer in Belfast at that time; that Lynskey was summoned to a meeting outside Belfast by the then leadership; that Lynskey wasn’t aware that he was under (IRA) investigation at that stage; that Lynskey was arrested by the IRA; that Lysnkey was court-martialled for breaches of IRA standing orders; that Lynskey was subsequently executed and buried in an unmarked grave.
In February 2010, the ICLVR added Lynskey to its list of the Disappeared. In March 2015, it began conducting excavations at a site in Coghalstown, Co Meath. During the course of these excavations, the remains of Seamus Wright and Kevin McKee were discovered.
Another search for Lynskey was carried out in 2018 at nearby Oristown, Co Meath, but again, nothing was found.
Lynskey is prominently featured in the 2024 FX series “Say Nothing.” Lead investigator Hill told BBC Radio in November that the exhumation hadn’t “come as a result of that programme going out in the last weeks.”
He added: “This process has been going on for months now if not longer.”
Who are ‘The Disappeared’?
According to the ICLVR, The Disappeared are victims of paramilitary violence who were murdered and buried in secret arising from the conflict in Northern Ireland up to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 1998.
17 people were ‘disappeared’ over the course of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. (The Wave Trauma Centre in Northern Ireland puts this figure at 19, including two additional people who were disappeared in 2003 and 2005, falling out of the remit for the ICLVR which can only work on the cases of those who disappeared up to the Good Friday Agreement.)
The ICLVR says it is believed the 17 ‘disappeared’ were killed by republican paramilitaries though the republican movement did not admit responsibility for all of them.
To date, the remains of 13 of the Disappeared have been recovered, 11 of whom have been recovered through the ICLVR’s efforts. They are Seamus Ruddy, Seamus Wright, Kevin McKee, Brendan Megraw, Peter Wilson, Gerard ‘Gerry Evans, Charlie Armstrong, Danny McIlhone, Jean McConville, Eamon Molloy, John McClory, Brian McKinney, and Eugene Simmons.
Four victims – Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh, Robert Nairac, and Seamus Maguire – have not yet been located.
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