New search taking place in Co Monaghan bog for IRA victim Columba McVeigh

A new dig is taking place at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan to search for the remains of Tyrone teenager Columba McVeigh.

The 19-year-old from Donaghmore was abducted by the Provisional IRA, killed and secretly buried in 1975.

He is one of the “Disappeared” victims of the Troubles whose bodies have still to be found.

The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) has previously conducted six unsuccessful searches at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan since 1999, covering more than 26 acres.

After the last search ended without a breakthrough in November 2023, a review was carried out by the ICLVR into parts of the bog that had and had not been searched.

They identified “a small piece of ground” that had not been searched previously, lead ICLVR investigator Eamonn Henry said.

“It’s a continuation of previous investigation, we decided to review the whole thing,” he told the PA news agency.

“After the ground was last searched in 2023, we looked at the grid plans.”

He said the new dig began on Monday August 18 and it will be five weeks in total before the identified area is searched.

He said the operation was due to take place six month ago but there was an “ecological issue” as protected hen harriers were nesting in the area.

“We worked with the National Parks and Wildlife Service in relation to the optimum time to come in, and because the nearest nest failed, we were able to come in,” he said.

The ICLVR was set up by the UK and Irish governments during the peace process to investigate the whereabouts of some 17 people murdered and secretly buried by republican paramilitaries during the Troubles.

While 13 have been formally found, Mr McVeigh, former monk Joe Lynskey, British Army Captain Robert Nairac and Seamus Maguire, who was in his mid-20s and from near Lurgan, Co Armagh, remain missing.

Columba’s brother Oliver McVeigh said he was “optimistically hopeful” at the latest dig as he appealed for those with information to come forward.

“I’ve been on this road six times before, so we have to have caution as well,” he told PA.

“Every time they’re digging and searching for him in that particular area is an opportunity to find him.

“It’s finding the right place and people that are involved people who know are still free to come forward and give whatever tuppence worth they need to give to possibly locate him.”

He added: “I don’t have any doubt that they (the ICLVR) want to find him but there’s some people there that aren’t coming forward that could come forward.

“It’s not easy work in the bog, there’s a lot of work to do before they actually start physically digging because it can be damp and they have to move stuff about.

“It is coming up to 50 years, but they have found so many people before so it shows it can be done.”