For the family of Columba McVeigh, hope and heartbreak have walked hand in hand for half a century. This December, as the latest search for the 19-year-old’s remains drew to a close at Bragan Bog in County Monaghan, the weight of 18,310 days without answers pressed down harder than ever. McVeigh, from Donaghmore in County Tyrone, was abducted and murdered by the IRA in 1975, one of 17 victims of Northern Ireland’s Troubles now known as the Disappeared. The agony of not knowing where he lies has haunted his loved ones for decades.
The most recent search, which began in August 2025 after a review pinpointed a new area for excavation, ended unsuccessfully this week. According to the BBC, this was the seventh search since 1999, with the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) having combed more than 26 acres in their tireless quest. For Columba’s sister, Dympna Kerr, the news was shattering. “They always tell us don’t build up too much but I can’t help it,” she told BBC News NI’s Good Morning Ulster programme. “Once they start searching I’m adamant that they’re going to find him. This year I kept telling myself we’ll find him, this is my Christmas present this year. It’s not, is it?”
The McVeigh family marked the 50th anniversary of Columba’s disappearance on November 3, 2025. The milestone, heavy with grief and longing, underscored how long they have waited for closure. “18,310 days. That’s a long time to hold the secret isn’t it?” Dympna reflected, her words echoing the excruciating uncertainty faced by all families of the Disappeared.
Despite the latest setback, Dympna remains resolute. “I still won’t give up hope,” she said, expressing gratitude to those who have come forward with information over the years. She also issued a heartfelt plea to anyone still holding back: “If you want to clear your conscience, come forward so the family are freed from their torture chamber.”
The Disappeared are those abducted, murdered, and secretly buried—primarily by republican paramilitaries—during the Troubles. Of the 17 known victims, the remains of four have yet to be found: Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey, Capt Robert Nairac, and Seamus Maguire. The search for Columba has been especially dogged, with the ICLVR returning to Bragan Bog repeatedly over the years, each time chasing new leads or re-examining old ones as forensic techniques and information improved.
Lead investigator Eamonn Henry of the ICLVR described the latest outcome as “devastating news for the McVeigh family, coming as it does so close to the 50th anniversary of Columba’s disappearance just over a month ago.” Speaking to BBC News NI, Henry explained, “Everyone involved in the search, including the ICLVR investigators, the forensic archaeologists and the contractors who operate the machinery, are bitterly disappointed and share the frustration of the McVeigh family that yet another search of the bog has ended in this way.”
Henry emphasized that the commission’s determination remains undimmed. “Over 26 acres of Bragan Bog have now been searched. And while we continue to believe that the information we are working on has been given in good faith, clearly there is still something missing.” He assured the McVeigh family and others, “The Commission remains fully committed to finding Columba, and we will not rest until his remains are returned and he receives the Christian burial that he has been denied for far too long.”
There is a glimmer of hope: the ICLVR will pursue new information in the coming year, focusing on a different part of Bragan Bog. “Based on information received that he was actually buried in a different part of Bragan Bog, we’re now exploring that information in relation to another possible location,” Henry told BBC News NI. The suspected site is close to where recent searches took place, and the commission continues to urge anyone with knowledge to come forward, promising confidentiality and compassion.
The search for the Disappeared is not just a technical endeavor—it’s a humanitarian mission. The pain of not knowing, of being unable to lay a loved one to rest, is a uniquely cruel legacy of the Troubles. Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn, who visited the search site in November, acknowledged the “unimaginable burden” carried by Columba’s family. In a statement, Benn said, “I am deeply saddened that, in spite of the substantial efforts of the Commission, the remains of Columba have not been located at Bragan Bog. Having visited the site last month, I want to acknowledge the diligence and determination of the Commission to locate Columba since the first search at Bragan Bog was conducted in 1999, as well as the investigators, forensic archaeologists and the search teams for their painstaking and sensitive work.”
Benn’s message was clear: the UK Government remains steadfast in its commitment to the ICLVR’s work. “Today, my thoughts are with the family of Columba who have endured this unimaginable burden for so many years, and who only recently marked the 50th anniversary of his death. I call on anyone with information that could help the recovery of the remains of those still missing to pass that information to the Commission as soon as possible.”
Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan echoed these sentiments, expressing disappointment that the latest search had not yielded results but reaffirming the Irish government’s full support for the ICLVR. “When the commission began the latest search in August, I had hoped that Columba McVeigh’s family would finally have the solace of being able to lay him to rest,” he said. “I am disappointed that, in spite of the continued efforts of the commission, Columba’s remains have not been located at Bragan Bog, County Monaghan.” O’Callaghan described the ICLVR’s role as a “critical, humanitarian one.”
For the families of the Disappeared, time is running out. Many are aging, and the hope of recovering their loved ones’ remains in their lifetimes is fading. As Dympna Kerr put it, “They always tell us don’t build up too much but I can’t help it.” Her plea—and that of so many others—remains: if you know something, say something. The smallest detail could be the missing piece of the puzzle, the key to finally ending decades of silent agony.
As another year closes with questions unanswered, the McVeigh family and others like them continue to wait, hope, and remember. The search for Columba’s remains will go on, driven by love, memory, and an unyielding demand for truth.
