The agony of families whose relatives were murdered by the IRA but whose remains were never found may be coming to an end.
The remains of an IRA (Irish Republican Army) victim were found in a new coffin hidden under a bush in a graveyard near Dundalk in County Louth. The discovery was made when two men, including a priest, contacted the Gardaí with information regarding the discovery of the body.
Information given to the Gardaí indicated that the coffin contained the remains of Eamon Molloy from Belfast. Eamon Molloy was one of nine people murdered by the IRA during the 1970s and 1980s, and buried in a secret location. He was 21 years old when he was killed and it was another 24 years before his body was finally discovered.
Under the terms agreed by the Irish and British Governments for the discovery of such bodies, no evidence found on the scene could be used in any future prosecution.
Superintendent John Farrelly speaks to RTÉ News about the discovery and reinforces the fact that no further investigation would take place. The objective at this stage was to recover the bodies of missing IRA victims rather than seeking prosecutions.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 28 May 1999. The reporter is Tom McCaughren.
