Funeral for Kyran Durnin murder suspect held in private

A cremation ceremony for Anthony Maguire, who took his own life on Tuesday, took place at Dardistown Cemetery in Dublin

By: irishmirror.ie

Dec 21 2024
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Funeral for Kyran Durnin murde

The funeral for a suspect in the murder of missing boy Kyran Durnin was held in private today - as Gardaí haven't ruled out further arrests in the case.

A cremation ceremony for Anthony Maguire, who took his own life on Tuesday, was held at Dardistown Cemetery in Dublin.

Maguire's body was taken from his hometown of Drogheda for the cremation at 12 noon today.

The ceremony was kept private with a death notice not being placed on RIP.ie.

However, a notice on the Dublin Cemeteries Trust website confirmed that Anthony Maguire's cremation was held at 12pm today.

Meanwhile, Gardaí probing the murder of missing boy Kyran haven't ruled out making more arrests despite the death of one of the main suspects, the Irish Mirror can reveal.

Sources say investigators are planning a fresh dig for the boy after Christmas as the search for his whereabouts continues.

Officers have already carried out searches of a number of properties in Co Louth over recent months, with two people arrested and questioned about the missing eight-year-old.

One of those, Anthony Maguire, took his own life in Drogheda on Tuesday, with fears he may have taken the secrets of what happened to Kyran to his grave.

However sources have told the Irish Mirror that the investigation is still very much alive, despite that setback.

A source said: "Gardaí still have other people of interest that they believe may have information on what happened to Kyran.

"There is likely to be more arrests after Christmas and a fresh dig for the boy too."

Suspect Anthony Maguire, who took his own life in Drogheda, Co Louth on Tuesday, left a note at the scene – but it made no reference to the boy.

Officers probing the disappearance of Kyran, who was last seen two years ago when he was six, had been hoping Maguire might have left information on the case.

But we have established Maguire, a convicted criminal, only mentioned other personal issues unconnected with the death of Kyran.

A source confirmed to the Irish Sunday Mirror: “The hope was he would have left something about the boy, but the note made no reference to the case.”

Officers believe Maguire, who was found dead at his home in Beechwood in Drogheda, was central to the alleged cover-up of Kyran’s death.

Gardaí suspect Maguire, 36, played a direct role in previously duping authorities into believing that missing Kyran was in fact alive.

Sources say Maguire was suspected of having facilitated in having a “decoy” child brought before authorities in Tusla, the Child and Family Agency earlier this year – in an attempt to fool them into believing he was Kyran.

However, the alleged attempt raised suspicions with authorities who eventually communicated concerns to Gardaí.

Gardaí believe Kyran was by this stage dead and that he may have been murdered up to two years ago, when he was just six years old.

It is understood that Maguire was known to Kyran but he had insisted to neighbours and friends that he had nothing to do with the boy’s disappearance.

The Tusla concerns then led to a massive Garda investigation – which resulted in the missing person case being upgraded to murder in October.

Kyran was reported missing at the end of August and Gardaí spent weeks searching for any trace of him before upgrading the case to murder on October 16.

A grandmother of Kyran Durnin was reportedly recorded on tape saying she last saw the youngster alive on August 28.

Rhonda Tyson reportedly said he stayed in her house in Drogheda, Co Louth, with his mother, her daughter Dayla, and had been sleeping on the couch.

She allegedly said the next morning when she woke up, both mother and the child were gone and that Dayla left a note for her on the table saying she needed to get away for a few days.

Her reported account of seeing Kyran recently alive is totally at odds with the view of Gardaí that he has been dead for the last two years.

A recorded interview was obtained by the investigative BBC Spotlight team for their programme on the case The Lost Boy which was screened last Tuesday.

Officers are not only trying to solve the young boy’s suspected murder – but are also determined to recover his remains.

A source told us: “There is a focus on getting his body back so he can be given a Christian burial.”

Detectives in Drogheda are still working 24/7 on the case – trying to uncover vital evidence about what happened to the boy and where he is.

But sources conceded the death of Maguire made an already complex case even more complicated.

A source said: “It is the last thing the team needed. But the investigation will not be derailed by it.”

Maguire was arrested on Thursday, December 12, on suspicion of murder, before being released without charge the following day.

Gardaí also carried out what they termed an intrusive search at his home in Beechwood, including deploying a cadaver dog, but no trace of Kyran was found.

We photographed Maguire smoking outside Drogheda Garda station just after he was released from custody on Friday of last week.

It is understood he stayed quiet during questioning and gave Gardaí no clues as to what happened to little Kyran.

His arrest came 24 hours after a woman known to Kyran had also been arrested and released without charge.

The woman, who has denied any involvement in Kyran’s disappearance, had previously implicated Maguire.

Officers are now set to probe his final movements and dealings before he took his own life on Thursday.

His violent past was also of concern to officers and we revealed on Tuesday he received a suspended sentence in 2020 for assaulting a woman in July 2017.

Maguire pleaded guilty in that case. He was spared jail and ultimately moved from an address in Rosevale to Beechwood in Drogheda.

He was also previously in court for punching a teenage girl at Buttergate in Drogheda in April 2009.

In her evidence she alleged Maguire punched her in the face, stating she had been with friends when a girl pulled her to the ground by her hair and as she got up Maguire punched her.

At the age of 22, Maguire was before the courts over criminal damage at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda where he became agitated and smashed a window after having a row with his girlfriend.

Detectives now believe Kyran was dead by that stage and that he may have been murdered as long ago as 2022.

Meanwhile, neighbours said they were shocked by Maguire’s sudden death and said he was a good father who devoted himself to his son and daughter.

One said: “He was living around here for four years and never caused any trouble.

“I’d say he took his own life because of the shame of having his name linked to the whole Kyran Durnin case.

“He could not handle the backlash locally and that people wanted nothing to do with him.

“He had the reputation of being a bad boy a few years ago but he settled down in recent years.

“To be fair to him he was a good father and he adored his own two kids. They were well looked after, they were always spotless and he walked them to and from school every day.

“I don’t know how he got dragged into this whole Kyran case but it appears he did.

“I honestly don’t think he was capable of killing that child but who knows.”

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