Gardaí to excavate hospital trench in search for woman missing for 30 years

GARDAÍ are to excavate a trench at a Dublin hospital in the search of a woman who went missing from the facility more than 30 years ago.

Alice Clifford, aged 57, of Cremona Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, vanished from St Loman’s Hospital in west Dublin on November 28, 1979.

Ms Clifford, a mother-of-seven, was being treated for Alzheimer’s when she went missing.

The alarm was raised when she could not be found for her evening meal. Garda inquiries at the time failed to find any leads.

The family has accepted that their mother is dead, but they are still seeking answers as to what happened to her.

Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty told a “for mention” hearing of an inquest into Ms Clifford’s death at Dublin County Coroner’s Court that a person contacted his office and “has brought forward new evidence”.

The individual informed the office of the coroner that a trench was dug at St Loman’s to lay electric cable and was filled in on the morning that Ms Clifford went missing.

Gardaí will need a few weeks to excavate the site, the inquest heard.

The new evidence emerged in the last seven days following an adjournment of the inquest into Ms Cifford’s death last week.

“We have to investigate that further,” said Dr Geraghty.

The coroner granted an application by Detective Inspector Dick McDonnell of Lucan Garda Station for an adjournment of the inquest to allow time for the excavations to be carried out.

He then adjourned the inquest until November.

Dr Geraghty said he hoped he would be able to hold the inquest in full on that date.

It is understood there has been no development in the area where the trench was dug and gardaí hope to narrow down the field of excavation to as specific an area as possible.

The coroner announced last week that he had decided to open an inquest into Ms Clifford’s death at the request of her family and with the permission of the Justice Minister.

He said he was holding the inquest in an effort to establish what happened to Ms Clifford and to establish whether she is still alive or dead.

In March 2008, her family made a renewed appeal for information.

Ms Clifford’s daughter attended the inquest yesterday.