A specialist search dog will be on the site in Coghalstown Co Meath today (Monday 1 December) where the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR) has begun to survey land in the search for Joe Lynskey, one of the Disappeared.

Mr Lynskey, a former Cisterian monk, was taken from west Belfast in August 1972.

The ‘cadaver dog’ is trained to detect signs of human remains and will work along side geophysicists using ground penetrating radar to identify anomalies under the surface which may indicate a grave site.

Commenting on the use of the dog, Geoff Knupfer the lead forensic scientist and investigator with the ICLVR, said:

“We will use every means at our disposal to try to narrow the search area until hopefully we get to a point where we can bring in the forensic archeologists to go beneath the surface. 

The cadaver dog is one of the resources we can use.

As with of all of the Disappeared we are facing a huge task in this case going back over 40 years and dealing with a search area of around six hectares (15 acres ) in the first instance.

We have to remember that it took four searches over nearly fifteen years before we found Brendan Megraw.

We are just at the beginning of the process for Joe Lynskey.

But as the recovery of Brendan’s remains at the beginning of October shows where we have accurate information we will find the Disappeared”.

He continued:

“We cannot over emphasise the importance of information coming to the ICLVR.

And once again I can give the assurance of a cast iron guarantee of complete anonymity to those who bring information to the Commission.”. www.iclvr.ie

Any one with information on any of the Disappeared should contact the ICLVR on 00800 555 85500, by writing to ICLVR, PO Box 10827, Dublin 2. or via the website

To date the remains of ten of the sixteen Disappeared victims have been recovered.

Ends.

Geoff Knupfer will be on site at Coghalstown, near Wilkinstown, on Monday 1 December and will be available for interview from 10am.

For further details contact Dennis Godfrey (ICLVR): +44 (0) 7771 642348.