Gardaí have concluded the examination of a possible burial site without success in their investigation into the disappearance of schoolboy Philip Cairns 23 years ago.
Gardaí sealed off a wooded area of Grange Golf Club in Rathfarnham, south Dublin, on Wednesday, after they received a new lead.
A team of geophysicists and experts from the Garda Technical Bureau as well as local gardaí were working on the site. The investigation finished up shortly after lunch today, but failed to find anything.
The examination involved 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.