THE 14 year old schoolgirl missing from Cork for almost two weeks is expected to be reunited with her mother and foster parents today after being found in Galway. Katie English spent last night in the care of the Western Health Board after a friend of her mother's contacted gardai about her.
Her mother and foster parents spoke briefly to the girl yesterday morning and said she was well but had not explained why she ran away last Friday week and had not contacted them.
Her mother, Ms Kathy O'Mahony (34), said she was very relieved to hear from her daughter. "I didn't ask her why she left. The main thing is she is all right and I am looking forward to seeing her again." Ms O'Mahony lives in London and returned to help in the search for Katie.
Mrs Kit Stoat, who has fostered Katie for more than four years, also spoke to the teenager yesterday morning. "I didn't ask any questions. I just told her we love her and are looking forward to seeing her. Her Christmas presents are still under the tree, including the surprise she asked for. We are so happy she is safe and well".
Gardai in Galway said a man contacted them on Tuesday evening to tell them Katie was staying with a friend of his in Renmore. He was a friend of her mother's and met Katie in Galway on Saturday December 21st, the day after she left Cork.
She told him she was on holiday and staying in a hostel in Quay Street. He checked her out of the hostel, she stayed with him overnight and then she moved to a private residence where gardai found her on Tuesday night.
He did not realise she was missing until he saw her photograph in the newspapers or on television. She is now in the care of the Western Health Board and understand the Southern Health Board will collect her from here, said a garda at Mill Street station in Galway, referring to the man who had contacted them about her whereabouts.
A receptionist in the Quay Street hostel in Galway said she remembered Katie staying with them but did not realise she was so young. She chatted to several people in the lounge here and we had a nice chat. She seemed very happy and I certainly did not suspect anything. Although when I saw her photograph on the television the other night I thought she looked familiar but I could not place her," she said.
Katie left her foster home in Cobh for school, dressed in her uniform, on December 20th. But she did not arrive and instead took the train to Cork and went straight to the bus station where she got a bus for Galway and booked into the hostel.
Her foster parents alerted gardai when she did not return home that afternoon and distributed leaflets around Cork city with Katie's photograph. Mrs Stoat said she found a Galway address of friends of her mother among Katie's belongings, but gardai had checked it without success.
After the caller contacted them on Tuesday evening gardai called to the house where she was staying, but it was Wednesday morning before they could confirm that Katie was there.