Kyran Durnin: The little boy who vanished and the questions that haunt Dundalk
Kyran Durnin.
It was a sunny weekday afternoon just before Easter 2022 as I was cycling along Castletown Road in Dundalk when a little boy’s football rolled out in front of me, just at the busy junction with Legion Avenue.
I stopped, steadied myself with my left leg, and gently tapped the ball back to the lad with my right foot. He picked up that ball, smiled at me but didn’t say a word; the polite young woman with him said “thanks” and they continued on their way along the footpath.
I often passed that little boy and the young woman on that stretch of road. My routine back then took me along there at roughly the same time most days – as did their own routine. The youngster was on his way home from school.
Back then I didn’t know the little boy’s name. But I do now – his name is Kyran Durnin.
The young woman walking with him was his mother, Dayla Durnin. I don’t know her, in fact the only thing I knew about her was her name. It’s one of those things you get in most towns; and certainly in Dundalk – you don’t know someone but you happen to know the face, the name.
This was the middle of April 2022. Within a couple of months Kyran Durnin had disappeared off the face of the planet. He was six-years-old.
It’s nearly six months now since a murder investigation was launched.
The story is so shocking that it seems like a scenario that belongs on a crime podcast or Netflix drama, but it’s reality. A little boy is missing and all the elements that make up the story, that we know of, are horrendous.
Kyran was last seen alive in June 2022 – pictures of the lad taken that month were released by gardaí a week before last Christmas.
But after that the trail runs cold.
A noticeable thing when speaking to locals is that people think, because the case seems to have disappeared from the news, that gardaí are not doing as much as they can do. They are wondering why nobody has been charged yet — with any crime. They want to see someone being taken from a garda car and marched up the steps of the courthouse.
“There should be missing posters of the wee boy up in every single shop and business in the town,” one woman told the . “His face should be in every paper every week until he’s found.”
The thing is; the investigation team are working extremely hard to solve this case. Thousand of leads have been followed up and they are still asking the public to give them any little piece of information – no matter how insignificant they may feel it is. Investigators are still saying: “Don’t presume we have the information that you have.”
What has not helped is the vast amount of disinformation that has popped up on various social media platforms. And the general gossip with people naming certain individuals as suspects and listing potential sites were Kyran’s body may be hidden.
Kyran attended St. Nicholas' Monastery National School on Philip Street in Dundalk, a short walk from his then home at Emer Terrace, a terrace of fine red-brick houses, on the Castletown Road. He was taken out of school in the second week of May 2022 with the school being told that Kyran had covid.
Gardaí have found no evidence that he was treated by any doctor or at a hospital for covid, or for any other reason.
Kyran remained registered at St. Nicholas' until the end of the school year and staff were told that Kyran would not be returning after the summer holidays but would instead be attending school in Newry, Co Down. He didn’t attend any school after that, anywhere.
Children who attend St Nicholas’ come from surrounding areas such as Culhane Street; Legion Avenue; O’Hanlon Park and Father Murray Park, amongst others.
Many children get involved in sports; ‘summer projects’; and other events and activities during July and August. Kyran Durnin didn’t attend any summer events in 2022 in Dundalk (or in Drogheda for that matter, when Kyran spent a lot of time) – not that anyone can remember anyway.
Some children had birthday parties with bouncy castles in the front garden. Often you don’t need an invitation to attend such gatherings - word would spread in the neighbourhood and children would arrive to play. Kyran Durnin didn’t arrive to play.
Neighbours who spoke to the , including several who had children in St Nicholas’ at the relevant time period, were of the belief that Kyran was attending another school. Nobody thought anything was wrong.
Alarm bells never rang. Gossip wasn’t shared. And that’s the unusual thing. This is a very close-knit area – everybody sees each other; everybody knows each other.
When the put that to one woman who lives around the corner from Emer Terrace on nearby Legion Avenue, she responded: “Not only does everyone know each other, they know each other’s business. My late father would say ‘if you sneezed on Legion Avenue they’d know about it up the town in minutes’. Surely to goodness someone knows what happened to that boy.”
Gardaí have suspects in this case but there is simply not enough evidence for them to charge anyone. Maybe that won’t happen until someone decides to speak up. Or maybe a breakthrough might be made if a member of the public offers up that small piece of information that gardaí are looking for.
Searches for Kyran took place at his former home on Emer Terrace; and on wasteland at the back of that property with gardaí gaining access from Father Murray Park. Later searches took place at properties in Drogheda.
The people of Dundalk haven’t forgotten Kyran Durnin. A vigil for Kyran took place before Christmas on Earl Street in the town centre. Attendees were asked to bring a child’s toy, which were donated to charity. Maybe it’s time for something similar – and in Drogheda too.
Gardaí believe Kyran Durnin is dead. He will forever be just six-years-old.
: Kyran Durnin, 6, is taken out of primary school in Dundalk.
: Kyran is seen alive in Drogheda. Gardaí say that he has not been seen alive since.
: Kyran’s family stay at a B&B in Dundalk. Gardaí are satisfied that the boy registered under Kyran’s name was not him.
: A boy is presented as Kyran at a meeting with Tusla. Gardaí are informed and now believe that this child was a decoy.
: Gardaí issue a missing person appeal for Kyran and his mother Dayla.
: Gardaí cancel the missing person appeal for Dayla and upgrade Kyran’s missing person case to murder.
: Gardaí begin a search at the house on Emer Terrace where Kyran’s family lived for several years. They also search land at the rear. Nothing is found.
: Gardaí arrest a woman on suspicion of Kyran’s murder. She is released without charge a day later.
: Gardaí arrest 36-year-old Anthony Maguire on suspicion of Kyran’s murder. Gardaí search his house in Beechwood Drive, Drogheda, and excavate the back garden. He is released without charge after 24 hours.
: Anthony Maguire is found dead at his home after taking his own life.
: Gardaí release the last known photographs of Kyran, taken in June 2022.
: Gardaí carry out a search at a house in Hand Street, Drogheda.
