New witness sparks fresh search for schoolboy

Detectives investigating the disappearance of a schoolboy 23 years ago restarted an excavation at a golf course today after a new witness came forward.

Technical experts are sifting through earth on a patch of land at the Grange Golf Club in south Dublin around 50 metres from a small wooded area where an unsuccessful search for 13-year-old Philip Cairns took place earlier this month.

The fresh dig which began at around lunchtime followed new information from a second witness, according to the Gardaí.

A Garda spokeswoman said there were significant similarities between the present site and the site that was excavated between May 6 and May 8.

Nothing was found during the search earlier this month.

The renewed excavation, involving a team of geophysicists and experts from the Garda Technical Bureau, is expected to last until the weekend.

Schoolboy Philip went missing on his way back to Coláiste Eanna secondary school after having lunch in his home on the Ballyroan Road, Rathfarnham, at 1.30pm on October 23, 1986.

His school bag was found in a laneway off Anne Devlin Road, near the school, although the lane had been searched before this.

Some books were recovered while others were missing but forensic tests did not lead anywhere.

There were more than 400 reported sightings and all were followed up.

At the time, the Cairns family persuaded milk companies to distribute posters of Philip during their deliveries.