Appeal leads to calls in relation to Philip Cairns

A number of calls in relation to missing schoolboy Philip Cairns were made to Rathfarnham gardaí yesterday, but no details have been released on the quality of the information supplied.

Philip Cairns was 13 years old when he went missing at lunchtime 20 years ago yesterday.

Philip had just left his home at Ballyroan Road to return to Coláiste Éanna school, but never arrived.

Despite intensive searches in the immediate aftermath of Philip's disappearance, no trace of him was found.

However, six days later his schoolbag was found in a laneway which had already been searched by members of the public and gardaí. The laneway links Anne Devlin Road and Anne Devlin Drive.

This week Philip's family and Det Sgt Tom Doyle renewed their appeals for the person who returned the bag to the laneway to get in contact.

According to Det Sgt Doyle, "the person may have been a child who found the bag elsewhere. That child is now an adult who perhaps has a family of their own.

"Or the bag may have been found by an adult at some location and brought to the laneway. It is so important that that person comes forward.

"We need to find out where they found the schoolbag."

Gardaí hope that developments in DNA technology may make it possible over the coming years to establish a DNA profile of the people who touched the bag before it was left in the laneway.

Gardaí also appealed for those responsible for Philip's disappearance to come forward.

While Rathfarnham gardaí confirmed that a number of calls had been received in response to the appeal, they said that "some would have been of a general nature".

No further comment would be made on the usefulness of the other calls, a garda said last night.

A Garda Press Office spokesman said, however, that any information that they received would be painstakingly followed through.