A 64 year old man has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of Mary Boyle.
Mary Boyle
The man was arrested in the Midlands this morning and is being questioned by Gardai.
Mary went missing in Ballyshannon in 1977 while visiting the home of relatives in Cashelard.
The man is being questioned at Mullingar Garda station and can be questioned for 24 hours without being charged.
It follows a recent review of the case by Gardai.
It is believed the man has been arrested for alleged kidnapping.
Ann Boyle, missing Mary’s twin sister said: “I have heard from nobody. I am shocked that there has been an arrest in the case. I had no idea there were any developments in my twins disappearance.”
It is the first time anybody has been arrested in relation to the case.
Gardaí have issued the following statement.
Following new evidence being discovered by the Review Team based in the Northern Region that has been investigating the disappearance of Mary Boyle in March 1977.
A man aged 64 has today been arrested by An Garda Síochána for alleged kidnapping.
The man has been detained for questioning in Mullingar Station under the Criminal Justice Act 1984 and is currently being questioned. He can be detained for up to 24 hours.
As well as the investigation at the time there have been two reviews by An Garda Síochána into Mary’s disappearance.
The latest began in 2011 and is being undertaken by a Review Team from the Northern Region.
The Review team has to date conducted a significant investigation that has involved interviewing a wide range of people and undertaking a number of searches with the assistance of forensic and geology experts.
Its investigation is ongoing.
Speaking today, Assistant Commissioner Northern Region Kieran Kenny said: “We are appealing for anyone with any information on the circumstances around Mary’s disappearance to contact us.
Even something that people may have thought was insignificant at the time could help us advance the continuing investigation.”
A family liaison officer has been continuously liaising with Mary’s mother, Ann Boyle, to keep her informed of developments including today’s arrest.
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