Mary Boyle

Case background and investigation

Mary Boyle was six years old when she disappeared on March 18, 1977, while visiting her grandparents at Cashelard, near Ballyshannon in County Donegal. An Garda Siochana's missing-person notice states that she was wearing a lilac hand-knitted cardigan, brown jeans and black wellington boots.

According to the Irish Times, Mary was last seen at about 3:30 p.m. leaving her grandparents' home. She was following her uncle, who was returning a ladder to a neighbour's house. About halfway there she told him she was turning back, and she was not seen again. Wikipedia's account, drawing on press reports, says the neighbouring farm was roughly 400 yards away across a hillside and that the walk back should have taken only a few minutes.

Searches of the surrounding land began the same day and continued for years. According to Wikipedia, gardai drained a lake behind the house and nearby bogs were searched. The BBC reported that a fresh review of the case began in 2011 and involved a number of searches assisted by forensic and geology experts.

On October 21, 2014, a 64-year-old man was arrested in connection with the disappearance. The BBC reported that he was released without charge the following day and that a file would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. No charge followed. In July 2016 gardai carried out a dig on land in County Donegal close to where Mary was last seen; TheJournal.ie reported that it was understood no new evidence was found. The same month it was confirmed that the Garda Serious Crime Review Team would re-examine the case, and gardai later said that review was completed in 2017.

Mary's family has taken different views of what happened. TheJournal.ie reported in 2017 that her mother, Ann Boyle, said she did not want an inquest and wished to believe her daughter was still alive, while Mary's twin sister, Ann Doherty, has said she believes Mary was killed and has campaigned for an inquest. In March 2018 supporters handed the Donegal coroner a petition with more than 10,000 names asking for one, according to the Irish Times.

Gardai renewed their appeal in March 2018, saying the investigation remained live. On the 46th anniversary in March 2023, Ann Doherty appealed again for information, saying her aim was to find her sister and give her a burial. Gardai said then that the investigation was continuing under a senior investigating officer in Ballyshannon. No one has been charged, and Mary Boyle has not been found.