Alice Cairns, whose son Philip vanished in Dublin in 1986, has been laid to rest. She died suddenly but peacefully on Thursday, with her funeral held on Saturday.
Philip Cairns was 13 when he disappeared while walking back to school after lunch on October 23, 1986. He left home at 1.30pm to return to Coláiste Éanna in Ballyoran but was never seen again. Six days later, his school bag was found in a nearby lane, with several books missing.
Despite extensive searches and hundreds of reported sightings, no trace of Philip was ever found. His parents, Alice and Philip, campaigned for answers for decades. Alice was a stalwart of the National Missing Persons Helpline since 2007.
In a tribute, the organisation said Alice bore the loss of her son and later her husband with fortitude and dignity. She is survived by her children Mary, Sandra, Helen, Suzanne, Philip and Eoin, as well as six grandchildren and six siblings.
Her funeral mass took place at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ballyroan, followed by burial in Mount Venus Cemetery. Gardaí continue to appeal for information about Philip's disappearance, urging anyone with details to contact Rathfarnham Garda Station or the confidential line.
