MORE THAN 200 people, including the Civil Defence and members of the cliff and coastal rescue team, took part in a search yesterday for missing 60-year-old Cork woman Anne Corcoran.
The search for Ms Corcoran resumed at first light today. Gardaí fear that the widow has been harmed. Ms Corcoran, who lived alone near Kilbrittain, Co Cork, was last seen on January 16th when she was filmed on CCTV shopping in Bandon town. There have been a number of reported sightings since then that gardaí are trying to confirm.
Ms Corcoran’s green Peugeot 206 car was discovered abandoned in nearby Old Chapel last Wednesday. It is understood the area where the car was found would not be familiar to Ms Corcoran and it would not have been normal for her to park there.
A base has been set up for the search at Kilbrittain GAA hall with large areas around Bandon and Kilbrittain covered yesterday. Ms Corcoran has lived alone near Kilbrittain since the death of her husband Jerry in 2007.
Insp Brendan Fogarty, who is leading the investigation, said the search team covered a great deal of land yesterday.
“Today we are concentrating our searches to a close proximity of Bandon town. We are also after widening our area to incorporate the outskirts of Kilbrittain. So it is quite a distance . . . to be covered in that area.”
Insp Fogarty described as “fabulous” the public response and assistance in relation to the case. He said any information, however trivial, was welcome in relation to Ms Corcoran’s possible whereabouts. The missing woman is described as being petite with wavy brown hair and slimline glasses. She is described as being about 1.5m (5ft) in height, weighing about 51kg (8st).
Ms Corcoran’s disappearance has been described as “unusual” and very much “out of character”.
Her house at Maulnaskimlehane in Kilbrittain was sealed off and searched after it emerged she had disappeared. There was no sign of a break-in or a disturbance at the house and none of her personal items are missing.
Local Fine Gael councillor Kevin Murphy said everyone was hoping for a positive outcome in the case. “It is very sad, but of course we are still hopeful that she will be found. She was a very quiet lady with good friends. It is such a huge area to search. But they will keep going.”
Ms Corcoran’s mobile phone was last used to call a friend on January 19th. Gardaí have established her phone has not been used since then.
Ms Corcoran was not at home on January 22nd when a workman came to carry out some repair work at her farmhouse and found her two dogs locked in the house.
Ms Corcoran’s friends said she would have placed the animals in kennels if she had planned to go away.
Gardaí are concerned for Ms Corcoran’s welfare and the case is being treated as suspicious. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Garda on 023-52200.