House sealed off in Dublin amid fears another child has been killed and secretly buried

Detectives sealed off the house after a woman told them her ex-partner killed the child

Gardai have launched an investigation into claims that a child has been killed and secretly buried, it has emerged.

It emerged detectives in north County Dublin sealed off a house as part of the probe over the weekend – after a woman told them her ex-partner killed the child.

It’s understood the child, a boy, has been missing for several years and would be aged around eight if he were alive today. However sources told the Irish Mirror that gardai believe that the boy is dead.

Sources say the woman made the claim when gardai from Swords Station in north Dublin interviewed her about her missing child on Sunday. The sources also say gardai are treating the woman’s claims as credible.

Gardai began an urgent investigation after they were contacted by officials from the Republic’s Tusla – Child and Family Agency. Irish police were informed about the case on Friday – a year to the day that they received their first missing person’s report about missing Kyran Durnin.

Officers later declared a house in north Dublin a crime scene and have been searching it and other locations in the last few days. Sources tell us suspicions were initially raised by workers from Ireland’s Department of Social Protection who had interaction with the child’s mother, who is believed to be from Africa.

She was attempting to claim child benefit for them, but was unable to provide any supporting documents, such as school attendance records. That led to Tusla getting involved, and officials there then contacted gardai in Swords on Friday.

That in turn prompted a fast moving Garda investigation and the house was sealed off over the weekend – with the mother being interviewed by officers on Sunday.

Sources confirm she told detectives that the child was killed by her ex-partner. It’s believed the child was last seen several years ago. It’s understood that the house is no longer sealed off.

We contacted gardai for comment today. A spokeswoman would only tell us: “Gardaí are currently carrying out a number of operational enquiries in North County Dublin. An Garda Síochána is not in a position to provide any further detail at this time.”

The case has chilling echoes to that of little Kyran Durnin, reported missing to gardai in his native Drogheda, Co Louth on Friday, August 30 last year.

That case was upgraded to a murder probe in October last year. Officers suspect he may have been dead for several years and the last confirmed sighting of the boy – who would be nine if he were alive today – was in mid 2022.

Two people, a man and woman, have been arrested as part of the Kyran probe. The man, Anthony Maguire, 36, took his life days after being released without charge.

The woman has not been charged and investigations are continuing.

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