As a Garda excavation continued about 10km outside Baltinglass on Monday afternoon, people in the Co Wicklow town hoped some kind of closure would come for the families of Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard.
An Garda Síochána confirmed a new search was under way at lands near Castleruddery Upper, as part of their investigations into the murders of the young women who disappeared in the 1990s.
Around 4pm Garda crime scene tape was put up around the site of the dig.
From a distance a significant amount of earth, removed by a large digger, could be seen piled to heights of about 2m.
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The dig is expected to continue for several days.
Máire Lawless, who retired back to Ireland from England seven years ago, remembered the disappearances of Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard well.
“It’s just very distressing for the families that they still don’t get some kind of an outcome,” she said.
“To at least know where the remains are, to have some kind of funeral, some closure.”
Veronica Dunne, owner of Veronica’s Gift and Stationery Shop, said: “I just hope to God they find something for the families’ sakes, just to put their minds at ease, to bury them finally. It is horrendous that they still don’t have that.”
Another shop owner who did not want to be named said: “I hope they do find something. It’s about time.”
Asked if she remembered the cases, she said: “Oh gosh yes, I do. I think everyone in the country who was around then remembers.
“You would hope at some stage the families would get some sort of closure. There must be somebody out there knows something.”
A woman on the town’s main street, who did not want to be named, said the mention of the dead women’s names unsettled her.
[ Disappearances of JoJo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob continue to confoundOpens in new window ]
“I pray for them both, and think about them still. I used to go swimming in Athy and I would have gone through Moone where she made that phone call from,” said the woman, of the final call Jo Jo Dullard made from a phone box in the Co Kildare village.
“It is a huge mystery. Deirdre Jacob was carrying a CAT bag. I always think of that when I see someone with a bag like that.”
Outside Baltinglass’s Supervalu car park, an older man pushing a trolley of groceries said: “I just hope they find something and it brings peace to the families. Oh I do remember the cases very well, the names. Yes, we remember them.”
Sinead Sweeney, a young woman, said she had heard of the women “on social media when there are anniversaries”.
“It is very sad. I am glad they have opened the search again. I hope they find something that helps,” she said.
Shortly before 5pm the yellow digger on site stopped its work, parking up at the site, and then the dozen or so gardaí involved in the excavation left.
