Wikipedia

Columba McVeigh

Columba McVeigh
Born1956
Donaghmore, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Disappeared1 November 1975 (aged 19)
StatusMissing for 50 years, 2 months and 5 days

Columba McVeigh (1956 – 1 November 1975) was a youth from Northern Ireland who was abducted and most likely murdered by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was listed as one of the "Disappeared" by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains.

Background and disappearance

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A nineteen-year-old from Donaghmore, County Tyrone, McVeigh disappeared in November 1975.[1] The IRA subsequently claimed he confessed to being a British Army intelligence agent ordered to infiltrate their ranks, but never indicated any specific act that prompted his murder.[2][3]

Theories

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McVeigh's elder brother Eugene had been a part-time soldier in the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) until 1972, at which point he left to focus on his career. A former UDR comrade of Eugene McVeigh suggested this military service may have contributed to Columba being targeted, although Eugene McVeigh disputed this — as he did not personally receive any threats from local IRA members during his time as a Catholic soldier in the UDR. Eugene McVeigh acknowledged that Columba sometimes spoke to Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers and 'may have passed on tidbits of information' to the security forces, but denied Columba had been formally recruited as an informer.[4]

Recent developments

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Unsuccessful searches were carried out for the location of his body in 2003, 2011, and 2012.[3] In September 2018, forensic archaeologists started searching Braggan Bog, near Emyvale.[5] That search ended without success in September 2019, having paused between November 2018 and June 2019. A further search in October 2022 was also unsuccessful.[6][4] Another search took place between August and December 2025, but no remains were found.[7]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Columba McVeigh". The Department of Justice and Equality. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  2. ^ Rosie Cowan, "Adams 'at heart' of IRA's most shameful killing campaign", The Guardian, 30 September 2002.
  3. ^ a b "Search for teenage IRA victim resumes at Co Monaghan bog". The Journal. 18 September 2012.
  4. ^ a b Trigg, Jonathan (2023). Death in the Fields: The IRA and East Tyrone. Kildare: Merrion Press. pp. 82–83. ISBN 9781785374432.
  5. ^ Carroll, Rory (17 September 2018). "Columba McVeigh: fresh search for remains of IRA victim". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Columba McVeigh: Search ends for disappeared teenager". BBC News. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  7. ^ Carlin, Lucy; Lawrence, Jessica (17 December 2025). "It's a long time to hold a secret – sister of IRA murder victim 'heartbroken'". BBC News. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
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