A search for the remains of one of the so-called 'Disappeared' is being paused in Co Monaghan.
The search at Bragan Bog for the remains of Columba McVeigh is to be halted over the winter, as persistent and torrential rain will make the bog too dangerous for contractors and archaeologists to continue to work on.
It is believed McVeigh was killed and secretly buried by the IRA in 1975.
The 19-year-old from Co Tyrone is one of 16 people who were officially classified as 'Disappeared' after they went missing in the 1970s and 1980s.
Jon Hill, senior investigator with the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains, at Bragan Bog, Co Monaghan in 2019. Picture by: PA/PA Wire/PA ImagesJon Hill, who is coordinating the search, is senior investigator with the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR).
"Working on bogland is a significant challenge at the best of times and so as anticipated we have now paused the search for the winter period to maximise our opportunities for discovery when weather and ground conditions have improved," he said.
"Any suspension of a search is deeply frustrating for the McVeigh family but they understand the reasons for it.
"And they also know that we will be back with renewed determination to do everything in our power to bring this search to a successful conclusion and bring Columba home," he added.
A previous dig at Bragan Bog ended without success.
McVeigh had been working as a painter in Dublin and had only returned to Northern Ireland a few days before his disappearance.
