
Specialised Defence Forces Engineering Team assisting in search for Kerry farmer Mike Gaine
Their plea comes as a Specialised Defence Forces Engineering team are in Kenmare assisting with the search.
The 56-year old has been missing from Kenmare for 35 days having been last seen buying phone credit in a local shop on March 20 after which he apparently vanished into thin air on his farm close to Molls Gap.
Despite one of the most extensive searches ever undertaken in the county there has been no trace found of Mr Gaine.
Gardaí have described it as a 'unique and challenging' case and one in which they have absolutely no answers.
Searches are continuing on the farm this week with the Defence Forces continuing their detailed search of the land which is mountainous and boggy making their work difficult and slow. Read more
A Specialised Engineering Troop has been drafted into to assist with the search.
The Defence Forces have now spent almost three weeks searching the 1,000 acre farm but to date nothing of any significance has been found that could help trace the whereabouts of Mr Gaine.
Up to 50 members combined from the 12th Infantry Battalion, Limerick and the 3rd Infantry Battalion, Kilkenny arrived to Kenmare on April 1 and these troops searched the farm yard and lands all the way to Molls Gap and down to River Finnihy in the intervening three weeks.
The Defence Forces have confirmed that personnel from 12th Infantry Battalion and an Engineer Specialist Search Team (ESST) from 1 Brigade Engineer Group are in Kenmare to assist gardaí this week.
Garda sources said the army can get into places that other search teams cannot due to their training and they are particularly specialised in rough and boggy terrain. They also have specialised equipment to cut back overgrowth.
High-definition drone footage is assisting the troops as they search for anything that could help solve the mystery of what happened Mr Gaine.
Gardaí have also this week appealed to cycling clubs in Kerry to see if any of their members were cycling in the vicinity of the farm on the day Mr Gaine was last seen – Thursday, March 20. He was reported missing the following day on Friday, March 21.
Mike Gaine has been missing since March 20
In a message to clubs they said they were seeking the assistance of the club members.
'As part of the investigation in relation to the disappearance of Michael Gaine, Kenmre, on March 20 Killarney gardaí would appreciate if you could please canvass with members of your club to see if they cycled the Molls Gap Road from Kenmare to Killarney on this date please.'
Cyclists are asked to contact Killarney gardaí on 0646671167.
Mr Gaine was captured in the local Centra shop on CCTV on the morning of March 20 and that is the last recorded sighting of the 56-year old at approximately 9.49am.
He left the shop in his Bronze coloured RAV 4, registration 152KY366. This was found in his farm yard just off the N71 at Carraig East, Kenmare.
His disappearance has baffled investigating gardaí who are continuing to examine all options. While foul play has been considered there is no direct evidence of any crime.
Mr Gaine's phone and wallet was found in the jeep in his yard which has added to the mystery around this case.
His sudden disappearance seen as completely 'out of character'
In the most recent update from gardaí in a press briefing two weeks ago daily searches since March 22 centered around the farmyard at Carrig East, Kenmare, Co. Kerry, surrounding lands, water sources and roads.
An Garda Síochána has been assisted by the Civil Defence (Kerry and Cork), Irish Coast Guard Units (Glenderry and Iveragh), Irish Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 115, Kerry Mountain Rescue, Search and Rescue Dog Team, Kerry Fire Service and 200 civilian volunteers as well as the Defence Forces.
Garda Superintendent David Callaghan said that this is an 'exceptional' investigation.
He told the press that all missing persons cases are investigated and depend on the information you have, but this case is 'unique' and 'challenging' given three weeks in gardaí have no idea of the whereabout of the missing farmer.
"To say we are still searching highlights the mystery of his whereabouts and it is challenging. We are no nearer to finding him than we were three weeks ago,' he said at the time and this remains the case five weeks later.
'To date An Garda Síochána has undertaken nearly 230 formal jobs/enquiries, taken nearly 100 witness statements and recovered approximately 1,500 hours of CCTV/dash-cam footage,' their update stated.
'Despite the extensive enquiries carried out so far An Garda Síochána has not discovered what happened to Michael on March 20,' they said.
They also made an appeal at the time that if Mr Gaine was alive to contact them re-iterating that it remains a missing person's case.
Mr Gaine is described as being about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a stocky build, brown/grey hair and a bushy beard.
When last seen, he was wearing an orange woolly hat, black fleece, blue jeans and black boots.
An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to any person who may have any information to contact Killarney garda station on 064 667 1160, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Data flags hundreds of Russian 'shadow fleet' visits to Irish EEZ
Some 245 so-called 'shadow fleet' vessels passed through Ireland's maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) more than 450 times in the first seven months of this year, according to data obtained by RTÉ. Several countries under international sanctions operate "shadow fleets". Most of the vessels, many of which analysts say are poorly maintained and lack proper insurance, are Russian-affiliated and used to help Russia export oil and circumvent oil price caps imposed as part of western sanctions. Seventy two vessels which have been directly named on sanctions lists transited through the Irish EEZ in the time period, which covers 1 January to 23 July. Experts have warned that their continued movement through Irish waters poses a serious environmental risk and undermines international efforts to isolate Russia's energy sector which is used to fund the country's war in Ukraine. Ireland's maritime EEZ extends roughly 370km off the west coast and is the site of major international shipping routes and multiple globally-important undersea cables. Countries are obligated under the UN Law of the Sea to monitor activities within their EEZ, prevent illegal activity, and control pollution. Vessels suspected of being part of the Russian shadow fleet often use deceptive practices, including falsifying paperwork, to try to obscure the origin, destination and selling price of Russian oil on board. They have been linked to damage caused to undersea cables in recent months, in particular in the Baltic Sea. Shadow fleet vessels have also conducted activities considered risky at sea, including turning off location transponders and conducting ship-to-ship oil transfers. The figures for activity in the Irish EEZ were provided by maritime intelligence company Windward, which uses satellite imagery and AI technology to spot and monitor ships, including those which turn their transponders off. A specific break down of the data on visits to the Irish EEZ during the first five months of the year was also provided by Windward. It showed that 40 of the 162 vessels which entered the Irish EEZ during that time frame were directly sanctioned with clear Russian affiliation. Five of those were sailing under the Russian flag, while six were beneficially-owned by Russian companies. Most of the others were flying under what are known as "flags of convenience," meaning they were registered in countries with minimal oversight. These can be used to disguise ownership and thereby avoid scrutiny and evade sanctions. Windward links the others to the shadow fleet through research and analysis of maritime activities. The top five "flags of convenience" on shadow fleet vessels travelling through the Irish EEZ were from the Marshall Islands, Liberia, Malta, Comoros and Panama. Asked about its monitoring of shadow fleet activity within the Irish EEZ, the Defence Forces said, "while it is our policy not to comment on specific operational matters, all relevant information gathered in support of Maritime Domain Awareness is shared in a timely manner with the appropriate national and international authorities." "The Defence Forces, through the deployment of Naval Service and Air Corps assets, maintains a continuous presence and vigilance within Ireland's maritime domain. We monitor all activity within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as part of our routine operations to ensure the security and integrity of our waters." Irish Coast Guard data released Separately, data from the Irish Coast Guard released under the Freedom of Information Act and analysed by RTÉ,shows that the service also picked up signals from four western sanctioned Russian registered vessels in Irish EEZ waters since the turn of the year. RTÉ used vessel tracking website to trace the activities of these vessels around the time they were referenced in the Coast Guard data. The Valentin Pikul carried out three ship-to-ship transfers with a Russian bunkering vessel in Murmansk in northwestern Russia between 30 March and 10 April, one week after it passed through Irish EEZ waters on 23 and 24 March. The European Union-sanctioned Russian vessel Bratsk sailed through the Irish EEZ on 26 and 27 April, turning off its location transponder as it proceeded north off the Donegal coast. The Russian-flagged crude oil tanker Belgorod transmitted intermittent location data as it travelled through Ireland's EEZ on 6 and 7 May, two months after EU sanctions on the vessel were announced. The Primoyre passed the Irish coast twice between 13 April and 2 May, going 'dark' to location tracking services for periods while off the coast of Clare and later Donegal. Tony Cudmore, a retired Brigadier General with the Irish Defence Forces, said "an awful lot of this activity is intended to provoke and possibly to call into question the State's authority." "The danger is that a perception is being created that the State's authority in this area is being diminished," he added. He warned that there is also a significant environmental risk linked to the oil tankers, and that the clean-up cost would likely have to be borne by Ireland in the event of an oil spill while a vessel was uninsured. "These ships are like having vehicles travelling on your roads which have no NCT. They have no insurance. They probably have not been serviced correctly. It's quite possible that even their drivers, their masters, may not have professional competence," he said. As of May 2025, vessels transiting through EU EEZ waters, including Ireland, are required to provide proof of valid insurance even if they do not enter an EU port. CEO and co-founder of Windward, Ami Daniel, said some countries have recently started to take enforcement actions, and Ireland could follow their lead. "In the last month or two we are seeing the UK and the EU take a voluntary approach of questioning vessels who are transiting, on the radio - asking for their insurance coverage and other safety parameters," Mr Daniel said. In January, German authorities confiscated an oil tanker believed to be part of the Russian shadow fleet off the country's Baltic Sea coast. The Panama-flagged vessel, the Eventin, had been on its way from Russia to Egypt with a cargo of around 100,000 metric tons of oil, worth some €40 million. Ami Daniel believes Ireland could take other steps to challenge vessels operating without insurance or valid maintenance records. "It's not just enforcement at sea. It's enforcement on the flags [of convenience] and what they do with the flag states," Mr Daniel said. "The Irish Government can absolutely reach out to them and send them letters. For instance, are they allowing them to do ship-to-ship transfers and get fuel or other provisions while out there?" he added. The Department of Transport told RTÉ that the Irish Coast Guard, through its responsibility for search and rescue, maritime casualty and pollution response, actively monitors traffic in Irish waters and recognises the "risk that some of these vessels pose." "These risks include the increased possibility of a maritime casualty and search and rescue incidents from such vessels. For this reason, the Coast Guard has instituted specific measures to monitor the presence of these vessels and passage through and out of Irish EEZ" it said in a statement. Sanctions impact Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU, UK and the US have imposed restrictions on Russia's energy sector, aiming to weaken its economy and limit its ability to fund the war. As part of that, specific ships have been banned from EU territorial waters, denied insurance, and prevented from accessing certain maritime services as well as all European ports and territorial waters. Last week the EU announced its 18th sanctions package against Russia which includes an additional 105 vessels being banned from accessing EU ports and locks, or undertaking ship-to-ship transfers of oil. The UK also placed sanctions on 135 oil tankers in Russia's "shadow fleet" this week. In total, the EU has now imposed sanctions on more than 400 shadow fleet ships. All European ports are also effectively barred from temporarily storing, handling, or processing Russian crude oil and petroleum products, with limited exceptions. However, even with the sanctions, income generated by Russia's exports have remained stable. The federation exported 7.8million barrels of oil per day in 2021, a figure that had dipped only slightly three years later to 7.5million barrels per day, as it successfully redirected supplies to countries like China and India, according to the International Energy Agency. John O'Brennan, Professor of European Politics at Maynooth University, attributes that at least in part to the activity of the shadow fleet, and says that individual European countries could do more to step up enforcement at a national level. "Some national authorities within the EU have been less than vigilant about upholding those sanctions. That gap is one that Russia has been successfully able to exploit over the last couple of years," Prof O'Brennan added. Prof O'Brennan noted some Greek shipping owners have been prominent in selling their old vessels on to Russia to repurpose, rather than spending money on scrapping them.


Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Government urged to clarify military intelligence powers in new phone tapping legislation
An oversight judge on phone tapping said it was 'imperative' the Government urgently clarified in law the roles and powers of military intelligence in safeguarding the security of the State. In his 2025 report, Mr Justice Tony O'Connor said the Defence Forces recently built a new high-security facility for the Irish Military Intelligence Service (IMIS). The service moved into the building last March, but the service is still awaiting Government measures to modernise and legislate for its national security remit. Mr O'Connor is the designated judge for the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages Act 1993 and Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011, as amended by the 2022 act. In his report to the Taoiseach for May 1, 2024, to April 1, 2025, Judge O'Connor repeated his calls for online communication, including encrypted services to be included in the laws. This includes Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. The interception legislation is now 32 years old and successive governments have promised updated laws, with the current administration telling the Dáil a draft bill is due later this year. An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces utilise powers of interception, the former for the investigation of serious crime and State security and the latter for State security only. Other agencies, such as Revenue and Fiosrú (formerly Gsoc), have powers under the 2011 act on communication (not content) data. The role of designated judges have now been taken over by the new independent examiner of security. Mr O'Connor, like designated judges before him, does not provide statistical data on the number of phone interceptions, with Mr O'Connor maintaining he sees 'little merit' in doing so. The High Court judge said applications from the gardaí were 'low' and were 'down in numbers', adding all were granted by the minister for justice. 'The number of authorisations granted pursuant to section 4 [serious offence investigations] were not significantly higher than those made under section 5 [security of the State],' the judge said. In his previous, 2024 report, he said the number of interceptions 'relative to the State's population size appear low'. He said the existing and anticipated developments on communication known to An Garda Síochána 'should be accommodated' in the new legislation. Mr Justice O'Connor said military intelligence moved to a 'new bespoke secured facility' last March. 'The new facility is a welcome development and affords a modern and professional aspect,' he said. 'The new building is purpose-built to top secret clearances and security specifications.' He said the old Irish Military Intelligence Service building, which they had used since the 1980s, was transferred to new Joint Cyber Defence Command in May. Judge O'Connor pointed out military intelligence uses the acts only in matters relating to the security of the State and the integrity of its institutions. It is for intelligence purposes only. The report said the use of the 1993 and 2011 acts for military intelligence 'was limited' over the last 11 months, but added the 'significance and value of those provisions for the PDF should not be underestimated'. He said he supported the 'urgent call' made by the Commission on the Defence Forces in its February 2022 report for clarification of the role, functions and powers of military intelligence in new legislation. 'There is an imperative to clarify the role, functions and powers of the IMIS in underpinning legislation,' he said. Read More National Development Plan allocates almost €4bn for defence and justice capital spends


RTÉ News
07-07-2025
- RTÉ News
Viable explosive device at Limerick plant rendered safe
The Defence Forces have confirmed that a device discovered at the Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick was a viable explosive device. The Defence Forces Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team was called to assist An Garda Síochána, following the discovery of a "suspected device" in the area. They were working at the scene from just before 7pm on Friday until 1pm yesterday morning. Following an assessment, the EOD team confirmed the device was viable and it was rendered safe, the Defence Forces added.