US mother in fresh appeal for missing son

AN American mother-of-two, who believes her missing son is in Ireland, has issued an appeal to the public to watch out for him this summer as they visit various holiday spots in the country.

Terri Mullaney from Scituate, Massachusetts, recently put up a €63,300 reward through the US Embassy in Dublin for information leading to her son Matt’s safe return.

Mr Mullaney left a pub in Florence, Italy, on February 1, 2003, after a night out with friends and has not been heard from since. The 23-year-old was studying art at the prestigious Angel Academy for a few months before he went missing.

Last year, an Irish couple contacted gardaí claiming they had spent the afternoon of July 2 in Kinsale, Co Cork, with the missing man. The man reportedly introduced himself as “Matt from Massachusetts” and said he was keeping a journal of his travels to write a book.

Meanwhile, in February 2005, a man claimed to have a conversation with a youth who resembled Mr Mullaney in a Dublin pub. There was also an unconfirmed sighting of him in a Galway pub in January 2004.

Ms Mullaney says she can’t even begin to imagine why her son disappeared.

“After the July sightings in Kinsale came through last January, there was a flurry of press and conversations with the gardaí. It seemed so positive.

“The witnesses would not waiver and now we are trying to figure out what to do next. I would imagine any parent of a missing child feels pain every day, as I do. I can still hear the sound of his voice or his smile.

“One day you are feeling it is going to happen any day now and the next you don’t want to get out of bed. But you do and with a determination that won’t quit until you get an answer.”

The missing man is described as 1.77m (5ft 10in), of medium build with dark brown “messy” hair and hazel eyes. He has pierced ears and a tattoo of a flaming shamrock on his back. Anyone with information should contact gardaí on 01 666 0000 or the American Embassy, or log onto www.matthewmullaney.com.