Heartbreak for family as Jamie's body is found

A SEARCH for a missing teenage girl ended in heartbreak for a Cavan family yesterday.

The body of 13-year-old Jamie Farrelly-Maughan was discovered after a week-long search in the back garden of an unoccupied house in the town, about a half-mile from her home.

Speaking at the scene last night, her aunt Catherine said: "We are all shattered. Jamie's mother is in bits. We never thought it would end like this." Gardaí are treating the death as suspicious.

Jamie's mother, Josephine, was comforted by family and friends at the scene.

After its discovery, the fully-clothed body lay on open ground for over six hours until the arrival of Cork-based Deputy State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

Gardaí sealed off the area and conducted a forensic examination.

Superintendent Joe Sullivan said gardaí would make no comment until a post mortem of the body was completed.

The privately owned property, at Harmony Heights, in the Árd na Gréine housing estate in Cavan town, was vacant for the past seven weeks but neighbours reported "activity" around the house in recent days.

Jamie's mother had made several emotional appeals on local radio since her disappearance on Saturday last.

Jamie was the third oldest in a family of seven children. She was last seen at Aughnaskerry housing estate in Cavan around 2am and again at 11am on Sunday last.

Jamie had apparently phoned her mother around 7.30pm, on Saturday last, to say she was sheltering from the rain and would be home soon.

Her mother, earlier this week, praised friends, neighbours, family and the local community who had assisted in the massive search.