Fifty years have passed since 19-year-old Columba McVeigh from Donaghmore, County Tyrone, was abducted and murdered by the IRA, his body secretly buried and his family left to endure decades of uncertainty and heartbreak. This December, the latest search for his remains at Bragan Bog in County Monaghan ended in disappointment, marking another chapter in a story that has haunted both his loved ones and the wider community in Northern Ireland.
The search, which began in August 2025 after a review of previous operations identified a new area for excavation, was the seventh at Bragan Bog. Over the years, the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) has covered more than 26 acres of this remote, challenging landscape, spurred on by information provided in good faith and the enduring hope of the McVeigh family.
Columba’s sister, Dympna Kerr, spoke candidly about the pain and the passage of time. “They always tell us don’t build up too much but I can’t help it,” she told BBC News NI. “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, a milestone that brought both reflection and fresh anguish. Dympna Kerr expressed gratitude for those who have come forward with information over the years, but she also shared the urgency that the families of the Disappeared now feel: “We’re running out of time,” she said. “18,310 days. That’s a long time to hold the secret isn’t it?”
The Disappeared are the 17 known victims of Northern Ireland’s Troubles who were abducted, murdered, and secretly buried by paramilitaries, their families denied the solace of a proper burial and closure. Of these, the remains of four—including Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey, Capt Robert Nairac, and Seamus Maguire—have yet to be recovered.
The ICLVR’s lead investigator, Eamonn Henry, described the outcome of the most recent search as “devastating news” for the McVeigh family. “Our hearts go out to them,” he said, as quoted by Breaking News. “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.”
Despite the setback, Henry emphasized the commission’s unwavering commitment: “I can assure the McVeigh family and the other families of the Disappeared who give them invaluable support that 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.”
According to BBC News NI, the ICLVR has recovered the bodies of 11 of the 17 men and women who were disappeared. The commission continues to appeal for information, assuring that all details provided are treated in the strictest confidence. Henry noted that new information had been received suggesting that Columba’s body may be buried in a different part of Bragan Bog, close to the area already searched. “We’re now exploring that information in relation to another possible location,” he said, expressing hope that this could be the “missing piece of the puzzle.”
The emotional toll on the families of the Disappeared is immense. Dympna Kerr described the experience as a “torture chamber,” and the sense of time slipping away is palpable. Still, she remains resolute: “I still won’t give up hope.” Her words echo the sentiments of many families who continue to wait, year after year, for answers.
The efforts of the ICLVR and the search teams have not gone unnoticed by government officials on both sides of the border. Last month, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn met members of the McVeigh family at Bragan Bog. 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 continued, “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. The UK Government remains committed to the work of the ICLVR. 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 also expressed his disappointment that the search had not yielded results. “I hoped that Columba McVeigh’s family would finally have the solace of being able to lay him to rest,” he said, as reported by Irish Mirror. O’Callaghan acknowledged the “unwavering determination of the commission to locate Columba since the first search at Bragan Bog was conducted in 1999,” and thanked the National Parks and Wildlife Service for its assistance in the preparation of the search. “Today, my sympathies are with Columba’s family who have lived with this uncertainty for so many years but have done so much to keep Columba in our collective thoughts.”
The ICLVR’s role is a “critical, humanitarian one,” O’Callaghan emphasized, and the Irish government remains “fully committed” to supporting its work. The commission has renewed its appeal for information to help find the remaining Disappeared, reminding the public that all information is treated confidentially and could be the vital clue that brings peace to families still waiting.
As another year draws to a close and another search ends without the closure so desperately sought, the McVeigh family and others in their position are left to grapple with a familiar mix of hope, frustration, and sorrow. The story of Columba McVeigh is a stark reminder of the long shadows cast by the Troubles—a conflict whose human cost continues to be counted, even half a century on.
The search for truth, justice, and dignity for the Disappeared is far from over. For the families, every new lead is a flicker of hope; every unsuccessful dig, a fresh wound. But as Dympna Kerr and the investigators have made clear, the determination to find answers remains as strong as ever.
