TV appeal to feature missing Cork man

A MISSING Co Cork man is to feature on a BBC programme about the disappeared, amid pleas from his family who are convinced he is alive and may be living in Britain.

Barry Coughlan, 23, from Carrigaline, disappeared on May 1, 2004. He was last seen outside Moonduster Bar in Crosshaven at 1.20am and his rust-coloured Toyota Corolla hatchback hasn’t been located either.

The BBC programme is to air shortly.

Meanwhile, his only sister, Donna, is to feature on next Sunday’s RTÉ One programme Pobal when she will make an emotional plea for him to come home.

“He had started on a fishing boat in Castletownbere and was home for the week before he went missing. He was in great form, top of the world. He was perfect. He never disappeared before, this was totally out of character,” she said.

At the time of his disappearance Barry is believed to have had several hundred euro on him and his post office book.

“He didn’t have a credit card or passport. His post office account has never been touched since he was last seen. He hasn’t been in contact with anybody as far as we know,” Donna said.

“We have great hope that he is still alive. The confusing part is why he took off. We are a very close family and there’s nothing we wouldn’t talk about. Barry would always come home on his time off and make contact with us when he was away.”

She believes it is possible her brother is in England and said Britain’s National Missing Persons’ Bureau is helping the family.

She said she was begging him to come home, or at least make contact to let them know he is okay.

Anybody with information is asked to contact their local garda station.