Air Corps joins in day-long sea search for missing Sinn Féin activist

AN Air Corps helicopter, a lifeboat, a unit of the Coast Guard service, and gardaí from Youghal and Dungarvan carried out a day-long search of Ardmore Bay yesterday for a prominent Sinn Féin activist who was reported missing to the gardaí on Wednesday evening.

Members of the public also combed the strand, the cliff, and surrounding areas in the popular resort for the missing man, named locally as Denis Crotty of Childers Estate, Dungarvan.

Mr Crotty, aged 55, was reported missing after he failed to return home from work on Wednesday. Shortly afterwards, his Opel van was seen locked close to the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore and immediately a search got under way. It was resumed at first light yesterday and members of the general public, including several of Mr Crotty’s Sinn Féin colleagues, joined in the search. A garda spokesman said there is very real concern and they have appealed to anyone who can assist their inquiries to make contact with either the Youghal Garda Station on 024-92200 or Dungarvan 058-42370.