Alice Cairns, the mother of missing Dublin schoolboy Philip Cairns, has died.
The disappearance of her teenage son almost 40 years ago remains one Ireland’s most high profile unsolved cases.
Phillip (13) vanished on the afternoon of October 23rd, 1986. He had left his new school, Coláiste Éanna, at 12.50pm and made the short journey to the family home on Ballyroan Road, Rathfarnham. Forty minutes later he picked up his bag and left to return to school, but was never seen again.
Mrs Cairns, of Ballyroan and formerly of Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, died “suddenly but peacefully” on Tuesday, according to a notice posted on Rip.ie.
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She was predeceased by her husband Philip and was the “cherished mother” of Mary, Sandra, Helen, Suzanne, Philip and Eoin. She is also survived by six grandchildren, six siblings, extended family and friends.
In 2016, 30 years after Philip disappeared, Mrs Cairns told RTÉ she had only started to accept in the previous year or two, since her husband’s death, that her son would not be coming back.
“It was all the time on my mind. For a long time we didn’t talk about him, it was too painful. Life had to go on with five other children,” she said.
“I always hoped to hear from someone somewhere. My husband was always waiting and hoping and gave up much quicker than I did. But he held out hope for years.”
She said Philip was a “quiet” child who never caused any trouble.
“He had a good sense of humour, he played football. He was a normal little boy. He had made his Confirmation just months before. A lot of people recognise him from that photograph. It’s on my phone.”
In 2020, the Cairns family took part in an RTÉ Scannal documentary, with Mary Cairns, Philip’s eldest sister, appealing for information that might help to unlock the case.
“I would feel that he is dead and I mean your life moves forward in some aspects ... but then there is just this part of our life that has stood still,” she said. “We would really like to be able to bring Philip home, give him a burial.”
Six days after he went missing, Philip’s schoolbag was discovered on a lane near his school, with some of his books missing from the bag.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Rathfarnham Garda station on 01 666 6500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
