Philip Cairns
Encyclopedia
Philip Cairns disappeared on the afternoon of 23 October 1986 while walking back to school in south Dublin, Ireland
. The thirteen year-old schoolboy left his home in Ballyroan to return to school, but has not been seen since. A large-scale investigation was carried out but no trace of the boy has ever been found. His disappearance is now treated as a high profile child murder case, the only similar incident in Ireland being the murder of Robert Holohan in January 2005. It is one of the most high-profile disappearances in recent Irish history.
Philip's family have issued numerous appeals for information. A reconstruction took place in 2007 and was later televised on RTÉ One
, while a reward of €
10,000 has also been offered. The book, When Heaven Waits, published in 2007, featured an interview with Philip's mother. Nobody has ever been arrested, and the only suspect cannot be tried due to lack of evidence. The case remains open.
. He had departed Coláiste Éanna
secondary school at 12:45 to go home for lunch. He left his home at 13:30 to return to Coláiste Éanna. There have been no confirmed sightings of the boy since. His family believe he was abducted by someone who knew him personally.
Speculation at his school the day after his disappearance had Philip being kidnapped by a "bad man" who had offered him sweets then lured him into a van.
officers and divers took part in a large-scale search of forests, lakes, mountains and rivers. Psychics and clairvoyants were called in to assist. Posters were distributed by milk companies. Cairns' classmates were interviewed by Gardaí at the school during their mid-term holiday break the following week.
Six days after his disappearance, Philip's school bag was located by two girls in a lane close to his house.. The lane had already been searched, and the bag was not there at that time. The school bag was thought to hold vital clues, but nothing is known of how it came to be in the lane. It is thought the bag had been left there a short time previously. It was examined forensically but no clues were located. Philip's implements, including pens, pencils, copybook, maths textbook, school journal and his pencil case were within. Some of Philip's books were missing, including a geography book and two religion books. A forensic examination produced no clues as to Philip's whereabouts. Gardaí have sealed the bag and it is now locked in a safe.
Over 400 sightings were reported in the aftermath of the boy's disappearance. In one, Philip was reportedly seen in Manchester
in the United Kingdom
after his disappearance. Each sighting was seriously investigated, but none led to Philip.
The Cairns parents appeared regularly on the news and clutched what has now become a well-recognised picture of a smiling Philip in his Confirmation clothes of a blue jacket and a red rosette. This photo has been deemed a precursor to that of British infant Madeleine McCann
, who disappeared in Portugal
21 years later. However, the family, unlike the McCanns have been relatively private about their loss, only speaking to the media on few occasions in the past thirty years. It has been reported that this is due to several inaccurate reports of the incident of which they have disapproved. Gardaí have, however, praised the media as a proven method for encouraging people to come forward with further information on the case each time an appeal is broadcast. Residents' organisation ACRA also launched an intense campaign to attempt to find Philip.
Several theories have been reported by the media, most of which have been discounted by investigators. These have ranged from death by accident to Philip having been taken by extremists such as paedophile
s and Satanist
s. One theory had a woman tell gardaí that her partner, an alleged paedophile, had killed Philip after abducting him. This was later declared a false allegation.
Detectives based at Rathfarnham Garda Station have been reinvestigating the disappearance of Philip Cairns for several years. Several searches of land have been carried in the years since the disappearance, often without informing the media.
In October 2006, the Cairns family issued an appeal for information on the twentieth anniversary of the disappearance. They said they had not given up all hope of finding him alive. A special Mass
was also held to mark the occasion. A further appeal for information was launched following the twenty-first anniversary of Philip's disappearance in 2007, when it emerged that over 50 people had approached investigators individually and had provided new lines of inquiry. That month saw a reconstruction of Philip's typical school route being broadcast on RTÉ One's Crimecall
television series and the Irish Crimestoppers Trust offering a €10,000 reward for information. Within one day, over 80 people had been in contact with Gardaí or Crimestoppers in what was described as a "tremendous response".
In May 2009, a stretch of private wooded south Dublin land near a golf club on the M50 motorway
was searched by investigators. On 6 May, the area was sealed off and vegetation was cleared. Specialist equipment and finger tip examination techniques were used in an attempt to detect evidence of soil movement. A second search was carried out around 50 metres away later that month. An elderly woman from Dublin told Gardaí that Cairns was murdered and later buried at both sites. She said that a man she was in a relationship with some time before had confessed to killing Philip. Despite the involvement of geophysicists, the searches both proved to be a failure. The man is now a pensioner who lives in Rathfarnham but cannot be charged due to lack of evidence.
and hurling
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The thirteen year-old schoolboy left his home in Ballyroan to return to school, but has not been seen since. A large-scale investigation was carried out but no trace of the boy has ever been found. His disappearance is now treated as a high profile child murder case, the only similar incident in Ireland being the murder of Robert Holohan in January 2005. It is one of the most high-profile disappearances in recent Irish history.
Philip's family have issued numerous appeals for information. A reconstruction took place in 2007 and was later televised on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
, while a reward of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
10,000 has also been offered. The book, When Heaven Waits, published in 2007, featured an interview with Philip's mother. Nobody has ever been arrested, and the only suspect cannot be tried due to lack of evidence. The case remains open.
Disappearance
Philip Cairns disappeared while returning to school in RathfarnhamRathfarnham
Rathfarnham or Rathfarnam is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils.The area of Rathfarnham...
. He had departed Coláiste Éanna
Coláiste Éanna
Coláiste Éanna CBS is a Catholic Secondary School for boys in Ballyroan, County Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1967 by the Christian Brothers, to serve the needs of Ballyroan and adjacent parishes. It now has over 500 pupils, and a staff of around 50....
secondary school at 12:45 to go home for lunch. He left his home at 13:30 to return to Coláiste Éanna. There have been no confirmed sightings of the boy since. His family believe he was abducted by someone who knew him personally.
Speculation at his school the day after his disappearance had Philip being kidnapped by a "bad man" who had offered him sweets then lured him into a van.
Investigation
Several hundred Garda SíochánaGarda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
officers and divers took part in a large-scale search of forests, lakes, mountains and rivers. Psychics and clairvoyants were called in to assist. Posters were distributed by milk companies. Cairns' classmates were interviewed by Gardaí at the school during their mid-term holiday break the following week.
Six days after his disappearance, Philip's school bag was located by two girls in a lane close to his house.. The lane had already been searched, and the bag was not there at that time. The school bag was thought to hold vital clues, but nothing is known of how it came to be in the lane. It is thought the bag had been left there a short time previously. It was examined forensically but no clues were located. Philip's implements, including pens, pencils, copybook, maths textbook, school journal and his pencil case were within. Some of Philip's books were missing, including a geography book and two religion books. A forensic examination produced no clues as to Philip's whereabouts. Gardaí have sealed the bag and it is now locked in a safe.
Over 400 sightings were reported in the aftermath of the boy's disappearance. In one, Philip was reportedly seen in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
after his disappearance. Each sighting was seriously investigated, but none led to Philip.
The Cairns parents appeared regularly on the news and clutched what has now become a well-recognised picture of a smiling Philip in his Confirmation clothes of a blue jacket and a red rosette. This photo has been deemed a precursor to that of British infant Madeleine McCann
Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
Madeleine McCann disappeared on the evening of Thursday, 3 May 2007. She was on holiday with her parents and twin siblings in the Algarve region of Portugal. The British girl went missing from an apartment, in the central area of the resort of Praia da Luz, a few days before her fourth...
, who disappeared in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
21 years later. However, the family, unlike the McCanns have been relatively private about their loss, only speaking to the media on few occasions in the past thirty years. It has been reported that this is due to several inaccurate reports of the incident of which they have disapproved. Gardaí have, however, praised the media as a proven method for encouraging people to come forward with further information on the case each time an appeal is broadcast. Residents' organisation ACRA also launched an intense campaign to attempt to find Philip.
Several theories have been reported by the media, most of which have been discounted by investigators. These have ranged from death by accident to Philip having been taken by extremists such as paedophile
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
s and Satanist
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
s. One theory had a woman tell gardaí that her partner, an alleged paedophile, had killed Philip after abducting him. This was later declared a false allegation.
Detectives based at Rathfarnham Garda Station have been reinvestigating the disappearance of Philip Cairns for several years. Several searches of land have been carried in the years since the disappearance, often without informing the media.
In October 2006, the Cairns family issued an appeal for information on the twentieth anniversary of the disappearance. They said they had not given up all hope of finding him alive. A special Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
was also held to mark the occasion. A further appeal for information was launched following the twenty-first anniversary of Philip's disappearance in 2007, when it emerged that over 50 people had approached investigators individually and had provided new lines of inquiry. That month saw a reconstruction of Philip's typical school route being broadcast on RTÉ One's Crimecall
Crimecall
Crimecall is an Irish television programme broadcast once a month on RTÉ. It is based loosely on the format of the German television programme Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst, and more closely on its British derivative Crimewatch, whose format it is almost identical to.-Format:The show reconstructs...
television series and the Irish Crimestoppers Trust offering a €10,000 reward for information. Within one day, over 80 people had been in contact with Gardaí or Crimestoppers in what was described as a "tremendous response".
In May 2009, a stretch of private wooded south Dublin land near a golf club on the M50 motorway
M50 motorway (Ireland)
The M50 motorway is a motorway in Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the north-eastern, northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. The northern end of the route is located at the entrance to the Dublin Port Tunnel. Anti-clockwise it heads northwest through the tunnel...
was searched by investigators. On 6 May, the area was sealed off and vegetation was cleared. Specialist equipment and finger tip examination techniques were used in an attempt to detect evidence of soil movement. A second search was carried out around 50 metres away later that month. An elderly woman from Dublin told Gardaí that Cairns was murdered and later buried at both sites. She said that a man she was in a relationship with some time before had confessed to killing Philip. Despite the involvement of geophysicists, the searches both proved to be a failure. The man is now a pensioner who lives in Rathfarnham but cannot be charged due to lack of evidence.
Family
Philip's mother is Alice Cairns and his father is Philip Cairns, Snr. Alice is a grandmother now and lights a candle each evening in memory of her missing son. Philip has four sisters, Mary, Sandra, Helen and Suzanne. Sandra and Suzanne are active in organisations promoting missing children. He has one younger brother, Eoin, who was 11 years of age when Philip disappeared. Eoin has spoken of his memories of Philip which include childhood games of soccer, fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
.