Limerick family renew appeal for man who went missing 12 years ago

THE family of a Limerick man who went missing 12 years ago while out celebrating a win by his local soccer team, has renewed their appeal to help find his body.

Gardaí suspect Matthew Carroll, 30, was abducted by members of a Limerick criminal family and murdered. He lived with his mother, Theresa, at Keyes Park, Southill.

He was last seen on the evening of June 8, 1998, after he left the Steering Wheel pub in Roxboro Shopping Centre.

He had been out celebrating the victory of his local team, Carew Park, in the Lawson Cup.

Despite a major investigation, Gardaí have failed to find any trace of him.

Mr Carroll was not involved in crime, but may have been abducted over knowledge he had of the activities of a known criminal family in the Southill area.

One theory was he may have inadvertently made someone connected to a gang aware of what he knew.

There has been speculation over the years that his body may have been buried under the foundations of a building.

His brother Seamus appealed for anybody with information about his brother’s disappearance to contact them.

“My mother will be 80 this year and it would be awful if she was never to find out what happened; to have a grave she could go and pray at. These last 12 years have been awful for her and all she wants is to give Matthew a Christian burial. This would give her a lot of comfort.

“Somebody out there must know something. We want to lay him to rest and this has been a very long battle.”

Matthew’s mother has erected a shrine in her home at Keyes Park at which she prays every day that the body of her son will be returned and that she will have a grave to go and pray at.

* Anybody with information about the disappearance of Matthew Carroll should contact Roxboro Road Gardaí on 061 214340.