Gardaí investigating the disappearance of south Dublin boy Philip Cairns in 1986 are beginning a near week-long excavation of the same site searched earlier this month.
Gardaí were due to begin examining the site at Grange Golf Club, Rathfarnham, at lunchtime today. The Irish Timesunderstands the dig will take up to five days, making it much more extensive than that carried out at the site two weeks ago, when nothing was found.
A team of geophysicists and experts from the Garda Technical Bureau as well as local gardaí will work on the site from this afternoon. Gardai are acting on intelligence supplied by a woman who believes Philip Cairns was killed and buried at the site.
The examination involves searching for evidence of past soil disturbances.
The 13-year-old schoolboy was last seen on the Ballyroan Road in Rathfarnham on October 23rd, 1986. He had left Coláiste Éanna secondary school at 12.45pm and returned to his home on Ballyroan Road for lunch. At 1.30pm, he left his home to return to the school, but never arrived.
Philip’s school bag was found in a laneway, which links Anne Devlin Road and Anne Devlin Drive, near to the school, the following week.