The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) has appealed for information that can lead to the location and recovery of the remains of Robert Nairac who was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA 40 years ago.
Robert Nairac who was a captain in the Grenadier Guards was working under cover when he was forcibly abducted from the Three Steps Bar in Drumintee in south Armagh on the night of 14 May 1977.
He was taken to Ravensdale Forest near Dundalk where he was beaten and shot.
In a recent edition of RTE’s “Prime Time’ programme aired earlier this month Geoff Knupfer the ICLVR’s chief investigator described stories of Nairac’s invovment in a number of terrorist incidents including the Dublin-Monaghan bombings as ‘wild allegations’.
Mr Knupfer said that not only was there no proof of Robert Nairac’s involvement he had found ‘ample evidence‘ that Nairac was not in Ireland, North or South when all bar one of the incidents took place and at the time of that incident, the murder of John Francis Green in Castleblaney, Nairac was in Derry/Londonderry.
He said that suggestions that Robert Nairac was a member of the SAS were ‘completely untrue’.
Mr Knupfer also dismissed rumours that Robert Nairac’s body was disposed of in a meat processing plant.
Mr Knupfer went on to say:
“The ICLVR would not normally concern itself with the past lives of the Disappeared unless there was something relevant to the process of finding their remains.
But in the case of Robert Nairac we firmly believe that the wild rumours that have been swirling around for decades may well be putting off people who have information from coming forward because they believe the myths.
This is one of our highest profile cases and it is also the one on which we have least information.
It is the only case in which we have been unable to even begin to search on the ground.
I think it’s likely that Robert Nairac’s remains are buried somewhere close to where he was murdered near the bridge over the Flurry River in Ravensdale.
As our recent success in finding the remains of Seamus Ruddy in France shows when we have the right information we will find and recover the remains and return them to the family for a Christian burial.
That is all that we and the Families of the Disappeared are interested in”.
In the Prime Time programme, Leo Green a former member of the IRA and former senior adviser with Sinn Fein who is the brother of John Francis Green and who still believes that Robert Nairac had some involvement in his brother’s murder said that Robert Nairac’s remains should be found and returned to his family.
Mr Knupfer concluded:
“Anyone who brings information to the ICLVR can do so in complete confidence.
In all the years we have been doing this work the identity of those who supply information has never been revealed and nor will it in the future.
I can give that absolutley cast iron assurance and guarantee”.
Anyone with information on the Disappeared can contact the ICLVR in complete confidence on 00800 555 85500, by writing to ICLVR, PO Box 10827, Dublin 2. or via the website www.iclvr.ie”.
In addition to Robert Nairac, the remains of Columba McVeigh and Joe Lynskey have yet to be recovered.
Ends.
Contact Dennis Godfrey (ICLVR): +44 (0)7771642348
