Woman (20s) who is chief suspect in murder of schoolboy Kyran Durnin arrested after returning to Ireland

Gardaí investigating the eight-year-old schoolboy’s suspected murder became aware that she had returned from overseas today and arrested her shortly afterward.

The woman is being detained at a garda station in the northeast of the country under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Kyran, who would be eight if still alive, was reported missing in August of this year but gardaí suspect he was murdered more than two years ago.

The investigation was upgraded to murder inquiry in October even though body of child has not yet been found.

A search of a home in Dundalk that Kyran stayed in and adjoining land was carried out over several days in October.

The tenants who now live at the property are in no way connected to Kyran’s disappearance.

Detectives have established that he was taken out of school at the end of May 2022, but he was registered on the school roll as being in attendance up to the last day of term in June.

A significant challenge in the investigation has been establishing a firm date for the last sighting of the boy.

In an interview last month, the chief executive of Tusla said the child and family agency had not received any referrals from the school about Kyran’s attendance or education between 2022 and 2024.

Kate Duggan told RTÉ: “What we know is that Kyran was in school in May 2022, and what we know is that we haven’t received any referral of concern since then,” she said.

Gardaí at Drogheda Garda Station are continuing to appeal for information in relation to the murder of Kyran

“An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to any person with any information, on the disappearance and murder of Kyran Durnin, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the Garda Investigation Team at Drogheda Garda Station on 041 987 4200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or speak with any member of An Garda Síochána,” a spokesperson said.