Body of missing woman found

A search by the emergency services and family and friends of a Dublin woman missing for three days ended this morning with the discovery of her remains at a harbour in the north of the city.

The body of Catherine O’Reilly (38) was found at first light this morning as another day of searching was set to begin in Howth, where her car had been found abandoned on Friday.

Her friends and family had launched a public appeal online for people to join a search party which began on Friday evening and after an overnight break continued yesterday.

The searchers were again due to congregate in Howth this morning but at 8.10am the remains of Ms O’Reilly were recovered from the water at the east pier of the harbour, at the same location where the searchers were due to meet.

Ms O’Reilly was last seen at the Merrywell Industrial Estate in Dublin 12 on the south side of the city on Thursday evening.

While she had been contactable to family and friends that day, when efforts to contact her the following day were not successful fears grew for her safety.

She was reported missing and on Saturday morning the Garda first made a public appeal for anybody with information to contact them at Howth station.

A description was also released along with details of the last known sighting of the then missing woman.

However, Ms O’Reilly’s car had been found in Howth the previous day and a search operation there, aided by family and friends, was unfolding before the first Garda appeal was issued.

That searched involved the Garda, Civil Defence and Coast Guard and focussed on the waters around Howth and also the headland.

The Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched from Dublin Airport.