Years of agony for schoolboy’s family
October 23, 1986 – Philip disappears after leaving his family home at lunchtime. There are no known sightings of the boy after he closes the front door at roughly 1.20pm. October 24 – A full scale Garda operation commences to try and find the young boy. October 29 – Teachers and pupils from Philip’s class at Colaiste Eanna, Ballyroan, are called back from their mid-term break to be interviewed by a team of 18 detectives. October 29 – Philip’s school satchel is found in a laneway 400 metres from the family home on Ballyroan Road in Rathfarnham. November 4 – A volunteer Philip Cairns lookalike named Ultan Whelan takes part in a reconstruction along Ballyroan Crescent. November 10 – Close to 300 local volunteers help out in more searches for the youngster, combing woodlands and fields in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains. December 24 – Philip’s heartbroken mother Alice recalls the last conversation the pair had about Christmas and gifts as she appeals to the public for information. February 21, 1987 – Four months after the disappearance, friends and neighbours hold a 12-hour vigil at the local Church Of The Holy Spirit. 1994 – Detectives receive an anonymous letter which claims the teenager was involved in a tragic accident. This line of inquiry is later ruled out. January 1995 – Lottery winner James Connolly offers a substantial reward worth €26,000 to help solve the case. 1997 – Crimestoppers, a joint initiative between An Garda Siochana and the business community, offers €10,000 to anyone who would come forward with important information. May 6, 2009 – Gardai carry out a search of Grange Golf Club following information received by a member of the public. Summer 2016 – Prolific paedophile Eamon Cooke is interviewed twice on his deathbed about Philip’s disappearance.