Father of missing boy feared secretly buried in Dublin starts new life in South America

It’s feared the child may have died around four years ago when he was aged around three and a half – before being buried in a shallow grave

The father of a missing boy at the centre of a major Garda search this week has set up a new life abroad, the Irish Sunday Mirror can reveal.

Dozens of officers were back scouring a stretch of land near Donabate, Co Dublin, yesterday over fears the boy, who has not been seen for four years, is buried there.

The search began on Monday after it emerged the boy, who was just three years old when last seen, was missing since 2021. Now the Irish Sunday Mirror can reveal that the boy’s father has left Ireland during that time, and now has a new life in South America. Gardai are keen to speak to this man, but sources have stressed it is only as a witness and not a suspect.

A source said last night: “This man no longer lives in Ireland. He has moved on with his life but obviously investigators will seek to speak with him about this case.”

It is understood the man has got married in South America. Yesterday was the fifth day of the search, after officers sealed off the area on the Portrane Road in north Dublin on Monday evening.

A fingertip search has been carried out by specialist gardai – and a cadaver dog was brought back to the scene on Friday. Heavy machinery is also being deployed in the operation.

The dog, which has been specially-trained to detect human remains, was first brought to the scene on Tuesday. That was the first day of the search and came hours after the area was sealed off late on Monday evening – after the child’s mother indicated a spot where she said the child was buried.

That area was closely searched between Tuesday and Thursday – but nothing was found and the dog did not indicate the presence of human remains there.

The specific area was extended on Friday and the cadaver dog was brought back in to examine those wider spots. Sources told us much of the area was overgrown and would have to be cleared before a full search can take place.

Although nothing had been found as of last night – five days after the land was sealed off – gardai do suspect the child is buried in the general area.

The sources said it is possible that the mother may have got the exact spot wrong – but is right about the general area.

The insider added: “A place can change a lot in four years, so it may have been difficult for her to remember the exact spot.”

But gardai from Swords Station who are leading the investigation are working on the assumption that the boy – who was just over three years old when he was last seen in 2021 – is buried there.

The mother initially told gardai that the child had died at the hands of a man known to the boy in 2021. But sources now said that several people have told gardai that the youngster died of natural causes.

Insiders have said gardai believe the only way they will establish how the child died – whether by an accident, an illness or foul play – is if they find his remains and a postmortem answers questions.

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