Search begins for Disappeared victim Seamus Maguire

A hunt is to statesman for the remains of 1 of the Disappeared - 29-year-old County Antrim antheral Seamus Maguire.

The Disappeared is the word utilized to picture 17 radical who were abducted, murdered and secretly buried during the Troubles successful Northern Ireland.

Maguire, who was from the colony of Aghagallon, adjacent the southeast enactment of Lough Neagh, is believed to person been killed successful 1976.

In a statement, the Maguire household said Seamus was "much loved" and anticipation that helium volition beryllium recovered truthful that helium tin beryllium buried with their parents.

"Our Mum looked for Seamus close up until the time that she died," they added.

A excavation organised by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) volition commencement astatine adjacent Derryclone aboriginal connected Tuesday.

The ICLVR was acceptable up arsenic portion of the Northern Ireland bid process to hunt for the bodies of the Disappeared.

So far, it has recovered the remains of 13 of the 17 victims but this volition beryllium its archetypal hunt for Seamus Maguire.

His sanction was lone added to their database 4 years agone due to the fact that of a deficiency of accusation implicit his movements successful the past years of his life.

"As with different Disappeared cases it was not instantly wide whether oregon not Seamus Maguire was a missing idiosyncratic lawsuit oregon was the unfortunate of an abduction, execution and concealed burial," said the ICLVR's pb investigator, Eamonn Henry.

"It was initially thought that Seamus disappeared sometime astir 1973-1974," helium explained.

"But it was besides subsequently suggested that aft spending clip successful Manchester helium whitethorn person returned to Northern Ireland and was past killed and secretly buried successful the Aghagallon/Derryclone country successful 1976 erstwhile helium was 29.

"Unfortunately there's successful excess of 40 years betwixt the clip helium went missing and erstwhile the Commission took connected this lawsuit truthful we're missing a ample chuck of clip and clip is precise invaluable successful narration to these cases.

"Whatever the issues astir circumstantial dates, we are present satisfied that determination is capable credible accusation to commence a hunt successful the Derryclone area."

Henry added that portion the Commission did get immoderate accusation it is "not arsenic overmuch arsenic we request to enactment each the pieces of the jigsaw together" and they are "still missing captious pieces of accusation successful narration to wherever these radical were buried".

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland said his thoughts are with the Maguire family, who person "endured truthful galore years of anguish".

"I americium profoundly grateful to the Commission for their unceasing efforts to find the Disappeared, and for their painstaking efforts to assistance easiness these families' agelong suffering," said Hilary Benn.

"As good arsenic the Maguire family, the families of Columba McVeigh, Joseph Lynskey and Robert Nairac inactive await the instrumentality of their loved ones' remains."

He urged anyone with accusation to travel guardant and talk to the Commission.

Two acre conception of farmland

Maguire has been treated arsenic 1 of the Disappeared since 2022, connected the ground of accusation received from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

It is believed enactment paramilitaries whitethorn person been progressive successful his death, though it's not wide which organisation was responsible.

Henry said the hunt country they volition absorption connected is simply a conception of farmland which stretches to astir 2 acres, but added the ICLVR volition not enactment a timeline connected the operation.

"As with each our searches we volition beryllium determination until we find what we are looking for oregon are satisfied that Seamus Maguire is not there."

"If you enactment yourself successful her shoes, tin you ideate the anxiety, the stress, the wounded that she incurred successful looking for her lad close up to her dying time – enactment your ain parent successful that, would you similar your ain parent to beryllium going done this?"

He said erstwhile searches are unsuccessful it is "devastating" for him and his team.

"It truly does crush the squad but that's minuscule compared to the anxiousness and the accent for the families."

Henry reiterated the the ICLVR is keen to perceive from members of the nationalist who whitethorn cognize what happened to the missing man.

"There whitethorn beryllium an presumption that due to the fact that a hunt is underway the committee has each the accusation we need. That is not needfully the case," helium said.

"If determination is anyone who has immoderate accusation connected this lawsuit delight get it to us.

All accusation is treated successful the strictest assurance and our sole intent is to instrumentality the remains of a loved 1 to their household for a Christian burial".

Maguire is 1 of 4 of the Disappeared who are inactive missing.

The others are Joe Lynskey, Columba McVeigh and Robert Nairac.