An area of farmland in County Louth is to be examined for the remains of Captain Robert Nairac, who was abducted and murdered by the IRA while working undercover.

It is the first search for his remains since he was shot and secretly buried in May 1977.

The search has been organised by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR).

It said it has “sufficient credible information” to begin a search of private land in the Faughart area near Dundalk.

Capt Nairac, 29, was abducted from a pub at Dromintee in South Armagh.

He was then taken across the Irish border to Flurry Bridge, where he was beaten and shot dead.

The location of his remains has remained a mystery.

In recent years, there has been a number of appeals for information made by the ICLVR.

It was established by the British and Irish governments in 1999 to find the Disappeared – 17 individuals murdered by republicans during the Troubles and secretly buried.

The remains of 13 victims have been found to date.

The ICLVR’S lead investigator, Jon Hill, said: “Robert Nairac is one of the highest profile Disappeared and yet his case is one in which we have had very little to go on.

“We believe that we do now have sufficient credible information to warrant a search.”

The precise location has not been disclosed.

Mr Hill added that “neither the landowner nor the tenant” have any connection to the decision to search the location.

The area is said to be less than one acre in size.

Mr Hill continued: “We are not time-limited but given the relatively small area I do not anticipate a protracted search period of many months.

“The Nairac family have been told that a search is about to commence and we will of course keep them informed of any developments.

“I am not going to put a number on the degree of confidence that we have that we will find his remains but if they are there we have the skills, ability and experience to find them.”

Kenny Donaldson, director of the South East Fermanagh Foundation, said the “murder and disappearance of Captain Robert Nairac remains a talking point in almost every home across south Armagh and indeed much further afield”.

“At the heart of all of this is a grieving family who have been defied their basic right to have Robert’s remains and to progress a Christian burial,” he added.

“We pray that the new information which has come forward turns out to be credible.”

The search location is within a wider area of significant archaeological interest.

The Hill of Faughart has been identified as a 14th century battle site.

The ICLVR said it has the co-operation of the National Monuments Service.

The commission has previously dismissed rumours that Capt Nairac’s body was disposed of in a meat processing plant.

It also described claims he had been involved in a number of terrorists incidents, such as the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, as “wild allegations”.