Northern Ireland

Archbishop Eamon Martin appealed to Secretary of State to help locate missing Aidan McAnespie body part

Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin appealed to secretary of state Karen Bradley to help locate a missing body part belonging to Aidan McAnespie
Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin appealed to secretary of state Karen Bradley to help locate a missing body part belonging to Aidan McAnespie Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin appealed to secretary of state Karen Bradley to help locate a missing body part belonging to Aidan McAnespie

ARCHBISHOP Eamon Martin appealed to Secretary of State Karen Bradley to help locate a missing body part belonging to Aidan McAnespie before it emerged it had been disposed of.

The 23-year-old was shot dead by a British soldier close to a checkpoint at Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone in 1988 as he made his way to Aghaloo GAC's grounds.

Last week The Irish News revealed that State Pathologist for Northern Ireland Dr James Lyness had confirmed a section of the Tyrone man’s rib cage was removed and later "disposed of".

The body part was taken during a post-mortem after his death without the knowledge of his family, which had campaigned for its return for Christian burial.

It has now emerged that Dr Martin - the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland - requested the help of Ms Bradley in February.

He revealed how he prayed with members of the McAnespie family.

“Since my episcopal ordination almost five years ago, this is the first time I have written in this manner to the Secretary of State,” he said.

“I appeal to you, Ms Bradley, to do what you can to help bring healing to this family, especially by seeking to locate his missing body parts and by having them returned for Christian burial.”

In a letter to the McAnespie family solicitor Darragh Mackin, Dr Lyness said that while he has been advised that the body part was probably disposed of in the years after the post mortem examination he is “unable to provide any more information as the state pathologist’s department does not hold any records in relation to the disposal of retained tissues from that time”