Disappearance of Philip Cairns

Who is Disappearance of Philip Cairns?

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.