The missing trainee teacher, Ms Deirdre Jacob, spent the weekend before she vanished from her Co Kildare home with friends in Carrickmacross, according to gardai.
An anonymous caller told gardai that he gave a young woman fitting Ms Jacob's description a lift the day she went missing. Gardai in Newbridge are anxious that the man, who has made a series of phone calls to the gardai and media since her disappearance, comes forward.
Ms Jacob (19) was last seen walking towards her home at about 3 p.m. on July 28th, two days after she returned from spending the weekend with young friends in Carrickmacross. She travelled to and from the Co Monaghan town by bus, according to a Garda source.
A man with a Northern accent, believed to be from Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh, telephoned the Leinster Leader newspaper and claimed that he gave a woman matching her description a lift on the ClaneMaynooth road at about 5 p.m. on the day she went missing. i. The woman Ms Jacob told him she was travelling to see relatives in Carrickmacross. Although the man was not destined for the town, he agreed to drop her there.
Ms Jacob's disappearance was highlighted on RTE's Crimeline programme on September 7th, and the following day the anonymous caller telephoned the newspaper in Naas. On September 15th the same man rang Newbridge Garda station and the home of Ms Jacob's parents, although he spoke only to somebody who was working in the house.
There was another call to the Leinster Leader on September 23rd. The following day he telephoned Newbridge Garda station and Shannonside Northern Sound radio station and on September 25th he telephoned the Leinster Leader again. On September 29th he rang Carrickmacross Garda station.
Anyone who has information about Ms Jacob's disappearance should phone (045) 431212.