DNA tests confirm remains are not Joe Lynskey’s

A family has received disappointing news regarding the search for Joe Lynskey, a former monk and IRA intelligence officer. DNA tests on remains exhumed from a cemetery in Annyalla showed that they do not belong to him. This has happened to the Lynskey family for the second time in ten years. Joe Lynskey was abducted and killed by the IRA in 1972. He was the first of 17 people who went missing during the Troubles, a period of conflict in Northern Ireland. So far, the remains of 13 victims have been recovered. The search for Lynskey has been difficult, and the news was a heavy blow to his family. Jon Hill, who leads the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains, expressed his sadness about the unsuccessful identification. He noted that the exhumation process is complex and not taken lightly. Hill praised Lynskey’s niece, Maria, for her strength during this challenging time. The commission was created by the UK and Irish governments to find the missing. Hill remarked that finding remains that the family hoped were Lynskey's only to discover they were not is especially cruel. As time passes, it becomes harder to get information about the missing individuals. Some people who could help are no longer alive. However, Hill remains hopeful, as new leads may still arise. He has made a renewed appeal for information about Joe Lynskey and other missing persons, including Columba McVeigh and Robert Nairac. The small team at the commission continues to work despite the challenges, balancing their roles with family expectations and ongoing investigations.