Fears for safety of Ireland supporter missing in Poland

Fears are growing for the safety of Irish soccer supporter James Nolan who went missing in Poland last weekend after a major search of the city of Bydgoszcz had failed to trace his whereabouts.

Mr Nolan’s family at his home in Blessington, Co Wicklow, are maintaining an anxious vigil for news of their missing relative.

Despite a massive awareness campaign organised on social media, Polish police have so far been unable to establish any trace of where Mr Nolan went after he got separated from a group of his friends in the early hours of Sunday morning.

However, officials were last night following up on an unconfirmed possible sighting of Mr Nolan by a group of Irish soccer supporters who claim they came across a “disorientated” Irishman who matched his description on a train between Warsaw and Berlin on Sunday night.

Gardaí have also been involved in assisting their Polish counterparts in trying to trace the exact location of Mr Nolan’s mobile phone in the hope that it can provide clues about his whereabouts.

Mr Nolan, 21, a third-year environmental engineering student was last seen in Bydgoszcz at around 1.30am on Sunday morning while out socialising near the city’s old market square.

However, it is understood that he got separated from his group of friends following a slight altercation with some local youths.

More than 100 police officers in Bydgoszcz were involved in the search.

Mr Nolan, a student at Tallaght Institute of Technology, travelled to Poland with a group of friends to support the Irish football team in the European Championships.

They had attended the opening two group games involving Ireland in Poznan and Gdansk, and were returning to Poznan for the game against Italy when they decided to break the journey in Bydgoszcz.

Mr Nolan was wearing a white T-shirt with a picture of actor Chuck Norris, dark blue jeans, and grey runners when he went missing.

He is described as 5ft 7in, with dark brown hair and blue eyes.

Ireland’s ambassador to Poland, Eugene Hutchinson, travelled to Bydgoszcz from Warsaw yesterday to liaise with the local authorities involved in the search. He also met with Mr Nolan’s friends who have stayed on in the city since James was reported missing.

Posters containing a photo of Mr Nolan’s have been placed around the city seeking help about his movements, while the story had also been reported by local media in Bydgoszcz.

Irish soccer manager Giovanni Trapattoni issued a direct appeal to Irish fans on their way home to assist in the search for Mr Nolan.

It is estimated around 2,000 Irish soccer supporters used Bydgoszcz as a base during the tournament.

* Contact the Irish consulate in Poznan on [phone] or the Department of Foreign Affairs on 1890 426700.