A FRESH search for a man abducted and killed by the IRA in 1972 is to be launched today.
Joe Lynskey was a former Cistercian monk who later joined the Provisional IRA.
Mr Lynskey was added to list of the "Disappeared" in 2010 after The Irish News revealed the west Belfast man was one of those to be abducted and murdered by the IRA.
Preparatory work will start today to clear a small area of trees in Oristown, Co Meath, with the dig to begin within days.
Mr Lynskey was kidnapped in west Belfast in August 1972. He is one of 16 people abducted and secretly buried by republicans in the 1970s and 1980s.
The search is being led by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR).
"We carried out an extensive search for Joe Lynskey in nearby Coghalstown in 2015," lead investigator Geoff Knupfer said.
"During that search we found the remains of Seamus Wright and Kevin McKee but unfortunately we drew a blank in relation to Joe Lynskey.
"As we do after every unsuccessful search we go back and review all the information that we have pulled together to see if there are other lines of inquiry to be pursued.
"That's what we've done in this case and as a result we are going to look at quite a small area of woodland at Oristown near where we found Brendan Megraw in 2014."
He said they would start work as soon as the land is cleared of trees and contractors and forensic archaeologists can begin.
"We anticipate that this will not be a long search either way. The Lynskey family have been informed and they know only too well that there is no guarantee of success but we will continue to do everything we can."
Of the 16 Disappeared, the remains of 13 have been recovered.
The remaining three are Mr Lynskey, Columba McVeigh who was kidnapped in 1975 and British soldier captain Robert Nairac, taken in south Armagh and killed by the IRA in 1977.
Anyone with information on any of the outstanding cases should contact the ICLVR on 00800 555 85500, by writing to ICLVR, PO Box 10827, Dublin 2. or via the website iclvr.ie.
