We feel helpless and in dark, says family

FOR others the anguish of a missing relative is still going on.

Claire Boylan’s family has issued a fresh appeal for information about the Dublin woman, missing since March 2.

The 36-year-old set off that Sunday morning saying she was going to visit a school friend who is married and living in the Midlands. She never arrived at the friend’s house and the alarm was raised.

“We feel helpless and in the dark,” her brother Bernard said yesterday. Claire, who is 5’ 4” tall, with short curly hair, green eyes and an oval shaped face, managed a shop in Dublin before her mystery disappearance.

She is described as walking with a slight stoop and it is believed she may be wearing a waist-length blue jacket with a yellow collar.

“Certainly, if Claire were to come across this item of news and if she wanted to contact us that would be marvellous. Or, if she wanted to contact us through a third party, for some reason known only to herself, it would be fantastic just to hear that she is safe and well,” said Bernard.

Described as a conscientious and shy woman, Claire is the youngest of six children of Brian Boylan, 77, and his 74-year-old wife Maureen, with whom she lived.

Both parents are struggling to cope with their daughter’s disappearance. After she failed to turn up in Tullamore, Co Offaly, a missing person’s bulletin was issued by the gardaí. After nothing was heard from her for several weeks, the family held a press conference on Good Friday, April 18.

Concern for her safety has been growing over the five months since she went missing. Her mother is scheduled to undergo major surgery shortly.

“She’s never gone missing, she’s never been reported missing to the police,” said Bernard. “She had been complaining in the few weeks before that about feeling a bit tired. She had been busy at work. Other than that she didn’t have any complaints and we weren’t aware of any problems.”

Anyone with information about Claire is urged to contact local gardaí.