In the summer of 2024 social workers from Tusla were trying to establish the whereabouts of an eight-year-old boy, named Kyran Durnin. They had concerns about his welfare, and where he might be living.

In July, a child was brought to meet them, and they were told it was Kyran. A second meeting followed in early August, and again the social workers were told the child was Kyran.

Then, weeks later, Kyran and his mother Dayla were reported missing.

As Gardaí begin investigating, they obtained family photographs of Kyran and showed them to the officials who attended those meetings. Social workers realise the boy in the photographs is not the child they met.

Soon, detectives realise they can find no trace of Kyran in recent months, or even years. Eventually gardai will tell the public they believe Kyran to be “missing, presumed dead”.

This week we look at the still unresolved case of the missing Kyran Durnin, an ongoing investigation which has now for two years been trying to establish where Kyran is, and what may have happened to him. Alongside the garda investigation, there have been serious questions raised about how a child could disappear from the view of all public authorities for so long without anyone realising he was gone.

This episode is not an attempt to solve an active case from the outside. It is an examination of the verified timeline and the gaps within it, that allowed Kyran to vanish.

Presented by John Sweetman
Created by Darren Cleary
Written by Darren Cleary
Script Edited by Siobhan Walsh, Sam Hobson and Eoin Brennan
Produced by Sam Hobson
Senior Producer by Siobhan Walsh
Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan
Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons
Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh
Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith
Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly
Social Media Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree
Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In the aftermath of the 1988 shooting at Sligo Hospital, Gardaí were drawn into a dramatic confrontation that saw a car plunge into the murky waters of Donegal Bay.

As the investigation moved towards trial, the case became about more than the tragic death of Anne and Annie Gillespie. It exposed the limits of the justice system. In court, questions arose over mental health and responsibility, with consequences that would haunt the Gillespie family for decades.

Presented by John Sweetman
Created by Darren Cleary
Written by Anna Priestland
Script Edited by Siobhan Walsh, Sam Hobson and Eoin Brennan
Produced by Sam Hobson
Senior Producer by Siobhan Walsh
Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan
Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons
Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh
Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith
Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly
Social Media Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree
Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In County Donegal in 1988, 18-year-old Anne Gillespie was looking forward to a future beyond her hometown of Ballybofey. Despite her close friendships and a tight bond with her mother Annie, after Anne sat her leaving cert she had started to dream of a life of her own.

But not everyone in her life was happy when Anne started to grow more independent - and soon she and her mother would find themselves targeted by a man consumed by rage, jealousy and obsession.

Presented by John Sweetman
Created by Darren Cleary
Written by Anna Priestland

Script Edited by Siobhan Walsh, Sam Hobson and Eoin Brennan
Produced by Sam Hobson
Senior Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan
Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh
Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly
Social Media Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree