The family of Margaret (Meg) Walsh (35), a Waterford mother of one who has been missing for 12 days, made an emotional appeal yesterday for anyone with information to contact them.
They urged anyone who knew what happened to Ms Walsh, Ballinakill Downs, Waterford, to contact gardaí in Waterford or the family directly, anonymously if necessary.
Her brother, James Walsh from Killavullen, and her daughter, Sasha Keating (17), who lives with her father in Ballyhooly, both in north Cork, made the emotional appeal to a packed press conference at the Woodlands Hotel in Ballinakill, Waterford, yesterday.
Mr Walsh said it was completely out of character for his sister to disappear without contacting anyone and her disappearance was proving almost impossible for them to bear. Sasha said it would mean everything to her to know what had happened her mother.
"We would dearly love to have Sasha's mum and our sister back," said Mr Walsh. "This situation is like a horror show. How anyone could hurt Meg in any way is beyond belief."
Sasha said she used to contact her mother twice or three times a week by phone. She last saw her on September 18th when she came down to Waterford before returning to school at the Loreto convent in Fermoy, Co Cork.
"She was a very happy woman, she was a great mother, a great wife," she said. "She was like a sister really more than a mother. We talked about everything . . . It would mean the world to me to get her back. No matter what happened, all I want is my mam back."
Mr Walsh said the family found it very difficult to accept that anything sinister could happen to his sister because she was so good-natured, but he admitted that they were "very concerned at this stage" for her well-being.
"We're in bits, this is impossible, she just doesn't do that, a woman like this, to disappear off the face of the earth doesn't happen and we're fairly worried at this stage," said Mr Walsh, his voice quivering with emotion.
"I can't stress this enough, if there's somebody out there who knows anything as to where she might be or if she's listening herself, would she contact us or would they please contact us, or if there's somebody out there that knows somebody that knows where she might be."
Mr Walsh said anyone with any information could either contact the gardaí or Fr Paul Murphy, who has offered himself as an intermediary, or any priest, or even to anonymously contact the Woodlands Hotel from where the search is being co-ordinated.
The press conference was organised by the Garda. Supt Dave Sheahan prefaced it by asking the press if they had any objection to Ms Walsh's husband, John O'Brien, attending for a statement to be read out on his behalf but not to take any questions. The press had no objection and Supt Sheahan said he would see if that was agreeable to the Walsh family.
However, he later returned and said Mr O'Brien would not be attending the press conference, although his statement would be read out. In the statement read out by Supt Sheahan, Mr O'Brien said: "We would love to have Meg back with us. She is a very caring person and has always been very good to John's parents. Please put an end to this terribly worrying time and let us know where Meg is."
Supt Sheahan later told The Irish Times that Mr O'Brien said he was so traumatised by events and daunted by the prospect of such a large media presence, that he had decided not to attend the press conference.