Ireland Ireland - Philip Cairns, 13, Rathfarnham/Dublin, 23 October 1986

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Gardaí believe they may have made a significant breakthrough in the case of Philip Cairns, the 13-year old boy who went missing in Dublin nearly 30 years ago.

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The Garda suspicions are focused on the late Eamon Cooke, a former pirate radio broadcaster who was jailed in 2007 for 10 years for multiple indecent assaults of two young girls. He died last week in a Dublin hospice at the age of 79 while serving his sentence.

New lines of inquiry were opened by gardaí following the receipt of fresh information shortly before Cooke’s death, a Garda spokesman said.

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According to RTÉ, the woman who provided information last month told gardaí Cooke may have killed the boy at the studios of the Radio Dublin pirate station in October 1986.

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Philip was last seen on Ballyroan Road in Rathfarnham on Thursday, October 23rd, 1986. Despite extensive searches in the aftermath of his disappearance, no trace of him was found.

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. His schoolbag was found the following week in a laneway, linking Anne Devlin Road and Anne Devlin Drive, near the school.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crim...hrough-in-case-of-missing-schoolboy-1.2680488

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/trio-may-hold-key-to-solving-philip-cairns-mystery-405211.html

Two or three people, now aged in their late 30s or early 40s, could hold the key to unlocking the 30-year-old mystery surrounding the fate of Philip Cairns...

Gardaí suspect that these individuals, who might have been aged as young as eight at the time, were used by Philip’s abductor to discard the boy’s schoolbag in a Rathfarnham laneway after he disappeared during the school lunchtime break...

Gardaí said if these people confirmed Cooke ordered them to dispose of the bag, it would provide that corroboration and could open up avenues as to where the boy’s remains might be.

http://www.herald.ie/news/is-this-w...-land-to-be-searched-for-bunker-34805852.html

It's understood that this isolated field was once the site used by paedophile Eamon Cooke, who died aged 79 earlier this month, to transmit a signal for his pirate radio station.

Sources have said that a number of witnesses have told gardai that they saw Cooke using a digger on the property over 30 years ago when he positioned a radio signal repeater.

It has been claimed that the serial child abuser concealed a container 20ft underground on the site, where he also once kept a caravan.

Gardai are preparing to carry out a forensic search of the property as part of their efforts to locate the remains of the missing boy.

 

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Gardaí are to examine five properties in counties Dublin and Sligo in a bid to find the remains of murdered schoolboy, Philip Cairns.

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At least four of the properties are in the Tallaght/Rathfarnham area of south county Dublin, which Cooke had been using to erect masts to extend the signal coverage of his station, Radio Dublin.

The Irish Independent understands that the other property was bought by Cooke in south county Sligo, near the Mayo border.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/gardai-widen-philip-cairns-search-to-five-sites-34812073.html

 

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​Girl (9) was in Cooke's car when he picked up Philip

In May, the woman agreed to make a formal, detailed statement on what she saw as a nine-year-old. One garda source said she had "very good reasons" not to come forward until now, but declined to elaborate on what those reasons were. Another source said she was terrified of Cooke and decided to make a statement when she learned he was dying.

The broad details of what she told gardai have since been widely reported. She was in the car with Cooke on the day he picked up Philip in October 1986. She said he took both of them to Radio Dublin studios in Inchicore. She said Cooke had promised him a visit to the radio station. There, Cooke (above) hit Philip Cairns with a blunt implement after a row broke out. When she went back into the room, she saw the boy on the floor, saw the blood and fainted. When she awoke, she was sitting in the back of Cooke's car.

After her statement, detectives called to St Francis Hospice in Raheny to interview Cooke shortly before his death there on June 4, aged 79. He was receiving palliative care and was weak.

According to one source, Cooke confirmed that he knew Philip and he also confirmed Philip was in his car. Other reports have said that he confirmed that Philip was in his radio studio. His responses, although limited, were taken to have corroborated aspects of the woman's statement.

As gardai followed up the dramatic new lead on Philip's disappearance last month, Angela Copley - unaware of the developments - had been speaking to one of Cooke's victims on the phone. Copley is a veteran community activist from Ballyfermot. Over the years, she has supported victims of various paedophiles and abusers, including Cooke's. She kept in touch with one of Cooke's victims and they spoke periodically.

During this particular conversation, the woman told Copley that she had been told that another woman - also a victim of Cooke's - had dropped Philip's bag in the laneway, on Cooke's instruction. She also offered a name to Copley. Copley resolved to tell the gardai and after a number of attempts, got through to a detective in Rathfarnham Garda Station on May 25, the next day.

Lots more at the link: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/girl-9-was-in-cookes-car-when-he-picked-up-philip-34813621.html

 

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*related*

The convicted paedophile Eamon Cooke helped a woman to launch a campaign against the Catholic Church seeking compensation over clerical child sex abuse while he himself was abusing children.

The Irish Times understands Cooke then used his relationship with the woman, without her knowledge, to get access to children so he could abuse them.

The woman was abused for years as a child and Cooke befriended her and assisted her campaign for justice when she believed the church had promised to assist her but then failed to do so.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crim...se-victim-s-campaign-against-church-1.2691351

 

[Ironside]

Appears his family found a recent social media campaign "deeply distressing"

http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1207/837204-missing-persons-day/

 

[dotr]

Missing schoolboy Philip Cairns

Oct 17 2020
Cold case detective believes main suspect in Philip Cairns case lived locally
''The main suspect in the disappearance of schoolboy Philip Cairns lived locally, a retired cold case detective believes.

The 13-year-old was last seen leaving his home in Rathfarnham, South Dublin, on October 23, 1986.

Philip was on his way back to Colaiste Eanna Secondary School after his lunch break and his school bag was found in an alley near his house six days later.''

 

[GuyfromCanada]

GARDAI have made a desperate appeal for information to solve the mystery of missing Dublin boy Philip Cairns ahead of the 35th anniversary of his disappearance.

The 13-year-old went missing on the afternoon of October 23, 1986, as he walked from his home to his school at Coláiste Éanna in Ballyoran.

More at Gardai plea for info ahead of 35th anniversary of Philip Cairns disappearance

 

[StillDiggin]

Priest appeals for help to end missing schoolboy's' family's nightmare

Philip Cairns was just 13 when he disappeared 36 years ago yesterday

www.dublinlive.ie

 

[dotr]

Never found: Schoolboy Philip Cairns went missing 30 years ago today

A social media campaign has being growing in momentum about Cairns’ disappearance.

www.thejournal.ie

Oct 23rd 2016 rbbm
''The 13-year-old schoolboy left his home on the Ballyroan Road at about 1.30pm to go back to the school. He was never seen again.

A search was launched for Philip once it was discovered that he was missing. One week after his disappearance his schoolbag was found in a laneway close to his house.

It had been raining over the week and the schoolbag was dry and placed in a very visible spot, leading gardaí to believe to it had been planted.''

''RTÉ reported that gardaí had linked the disappearance of Cairns to the convicted paedophile Eamon Cooke – who operated a pirate radio station in Dublin at the time.

File photo of Eamon Cooke at the Clondalkin headquarters of his pirate radio station.

''Superintendent Peter Duff would not confirm that Cooke was being actively investigated by gardaí, but said that there were multiple lines of inquiry open.''

RTÉ reported at the time that gardaí believed that a number of children may have been coerced into placing Philip’s bag in the laneway after his disappearance.

Cooke was questioned by gardaí at a hospice before his death about the incident. He was thought to have confirmed aspects of the woman’s statement, but refused to say where Cairns was buried.

The bag was tested for DNA, but it was announced in August that no forensic evidence was found that could link Philip to Cooke. However, it is believed that he is still a suspect in the case.''

 

[Megsc]

338DMIRL - Philip Cairns

 

[Megsc]

Broadcaster appeals for information to solve the mystery of his missing cousin

Broadcaster and writer Gareth O’Callaghan has issued an appeal for information in a bid to solve the mystery of his missing cousin, Philip Cairns, who disappeared without trace in 1986 at the age of thirteen.

Philip Cairns remains one of the most high-profile missing person cases in Ireland. The teenager vanished on the afternoon of October 23, 1986. He was 13.

Philip left his new school, Coláiste Éanna, at 12.50pm and made the short journey to his home at Ballyroan Road, Rathfarnham in Dublin. Forty minutes later he picked up his bag and left the family home to return to school. He was never seen again.

Mr O’Callaghan posted on social media that his missing cousin is in danger of being forgotten.

He is appealing to members of the public who have information on the case to come forward — even at this late juncture.

“There have been book chapters, true crime theories and television reports over the years, and mind-blowing accusations that have led to nothing," said the Irish Examiner columnist.

"But someone knows, still; that's for certain, and they are apparently still alive, and their consciences must now be very heavy after all these years — before they pass on to their deaths.

"Please, it's never too late to reach out and speak, honestly, even now.”

Meanwhile, the disappearance of Philip has baffled gardaí and his family. Nobody has ever been arrested in relation to the case in spite of numerous media appeals for information.

In 2020 the Cairns family took part in an RTÉ Scannal documentary with Philip's oldest sister appealing for information to unlock the truth of what happened to her brother.

Mary Cairns said Philip was a kind and thoughtful child who got on with everyone.

"I would feel that he is dead, and I mean your life moves forward in some aspects...but then there is just this part of our life that has stood still.

"We would really like to be able to bring Philip home, give him a burial.” At the time of his disappearance, Philip was 5’2” in height, with short black hair. When last seen he was wearing his Coláiste Éanna school uniform, a grey jacket with black shoulder corners, grey school trousers, grey shirt and a school pullover.

Six days after he went missing, his schoolbag was located in a lane near his school. Some of Philip’s books were missing from the bag.

Anyone with information on the case should contact Rathfarnham Garda station on 01 666 6500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.