"Mystified" neighbours can’t remember ever seeing Kyran, 8, who vanished without trace

Taoiseach Simon Harris has said it is "deeply disturbing" that a child could go missing in the State for years, as with the case of Kyran Durnin.

His comments came as the back garden of the former home of the young boy who vanished without trace emerged as one of the key sites of investigation, with the search for his remains continuing on Wednesday.

After obtaining a warrant to search a house in Dundalk, Co Louth, specialist gardaí spent hours examining and digging in parts of the property.

Kyran would now be eight years old, but gardaí believe he may have been murdered up to two years ago.

On Tuesday, Ireland's Child and Family Agency Tusla said that while the boy was never in its care, the agency received "significant" information about Kyran in August and alerted gardaí.

Neighbours who have lived in the area for more than 20 years remain mystified about the case, and on Tuesday night that while they recalled seeing the boy’s mother and his two siblings in the area, they have no recollection of ever seeing Kyran locally.

The Taoiseach said on Tuesday that to think any child could go missing and unnoticed for years is "horrifying."

"This child was failed, failed badly… How was this child failed? An eight-year-old little boy, effectively disappearing and [it] not be noticed. There is nobody in Ireland, including me, that could comprehend that," said Mr. Harris.

Speaking outside Dundalk Garda Station on Tuesday, Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern said Kyran and his family lived at the address on Emer Terrace for several years. The family moved out in May. He stressed that the current tenants of the home have nothing whatsoever to do with the investigation. The senior garda said the focus of the probe is the back garden, as well as the adjoining land beside it.

In a new appeal to the public, Chief Supt McGovern said: "We want to discover where Kyran is. We want to discover what has happened to Kyran. I continue to appeal to anyone who has any information in connection with the disappearance of Kyran to contact investigating gardaí."

One neighbour, who did not wish to be identified, told the Mail: "When the picture of the child came up on the news one night, I thought 'I don’t recognise him at all.'"

"We had been chatting about him down the pub after he had gone missing and people were all saying the same thing – 'I remember the mother but I don’t remember him.' Even his two sisters I’d have a vague recollection of them but that young lad? Nothing.

"It’s strange because we all talk to each other on the terrace. There’s not that many houses, so people know each other well."

Gardaí released a statement last week saying Kyran was missing and presumed dead. An official missing person’s case was filed on August 30.

After extensive investigations, gardaí could not find any evidence that Kyran was alive, while the child’s mother, Dayla, age 24, was found safe and well in the UK. He is the eldest of her three children.

Another local resident, Bernie Callan, and her three friends stood outside Emer Terrace on Tuesday and were shocked to see forensic teams entering the house.

Mrs. Callan, who has lived in Dundalk all her life, said her "heart goes out that poor little dote."

"We go to Max’s [Café] often and coming from this part of town you know everyone. But when we saw his little face, we were just very sad about it all. You don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives at all."

Gardaí said that significant resources have been allocated by management for the investigation, with dozens of officers expected to be appointed to it.

Chief Supt McGovern said that on Monday, "acting under a search warrant, gardaí investigating the disappearance of Kyran Durnin took possession of a private house on Emer Terrace, Dundalk. That house will be searched and be the subject of technical and forensic examinations, as will the garden and adjoining open ground to that house.

"The purpose of these searches are to discover any evidence which might provide us with information as to Kyran’s current whereabouts or what has happened to Kyran.

"The house is known to have been Kyran’s family home for a period of years up to May 2024.

"I must emphasise that the current tenants of this house are not connected in any way with Kyran or his disappearance."

Mr. Harris said that the State had "failed badly" the young boy.

"The case of Kyran Durnin is deeply disturbing, deeply upsetting and in fact I would go as far as to say it is utterly horrifying for any of us, as a human being, as a parent, to think that a child could effectively disappear unnoticed and [it] not be noticed that they are not there, is utterly heartbreaking.

"Clearly something went extraordinarily wrong here.

"While I’m not going to say anything that will cut across the Garda investigation, let that run its course, that’s very, very important, as Taoiseach I will make sure we get to the bottom of this. So whatever needs to be done to establish from an accountability point of view, how this child was failed, how Kyran was failed, must happen."

In a separate statement, Tusla said it has launched its own investigation into its handling of the case and confirmed that it had been in contact with Kyran’s family prior to him being reported missing.

A spokeswoman for the agency said: "We can confirm that whilst Kyran was not in the care of Tusla, our services had engaged with both he and his family.

"In August 2024, we alerted An Garda Síochána in relation to a significant concern about Kyran. Since August, we have continued to assist and work closely with the gardaí, and in line with normal practice, all relevant information has been shared.

"We can also confirm that as appropriate a notification has been sent to the National Review Panel, whose responsibility is to independently review cases of serious incidents involving children in care or known to Tusla.

"We have also commenced an internal review, to look at our engagements and interactions with Kyran and his family. We are conscious of the ongoing Garda investigation, and as such will not be commenting further at this time. Anyone with information on this case should contact An Garda Síochána."

Chief Superintendent McGovern urged: "Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, will be welcomed by the investigation team. This information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

"You can contact the Garda Investigation Team at Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or speak with any member of An Garda Síochána."

*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.