Fears grow for safety of 2 missing people

Fears are growing for the safety of two people who have separately been reported missing in the Midlands in recent days.

The family of missing Co Laois woman Aoife Phelan — who is four months pregnant — are growing increasingly anxious about her welfare as they have had no contact from her since Thursday.

Ms Phelan, 30, originally from Ballyroan, Co Laois, disappeared on Thursday evening after leaving a friend’s house close to her own home in Portlaoise.

It is understood she left the house near Colliers Lane in the town after receiving a text message to meet another person.

Concern about her safety has grown after her last mobile phone signal was traced to Mountmellick about 10km away. The phone was subsequently switched off at about 9pm on Friday.

Ms Phelan was reported missing after she failed to turn up for work on Friday morning.

Our AuPair - Aoife Phelan is missing. She was last seen at 8pm last night heading to Mountmellick PLS RT & share!! http://t.co/fMs7nLWV

— Darren Bayliss (@DarrenBayliss_) October 26, 2012

Her family said her disappearance was totally out of character. Her parents, Michael and Betty Phelan, said they had no idea what had happened to their daughter as she had been in great form when they last spoke at about 2pm on Thursday.

Ms Phelan was wearing a pink knitted jumper and jeans and is understood to have been carrying a red bomber jacket at the time of her disappearance.

Meanwhile, searches also continued yesterday for Co Kildare teenager Cormac Clare, who has been missing from his home in Kilteel near Naas since the early hours of last Monday.

Supt Patrick Mangan of Naas Garda Station said they had grave concerns for Cormac’s welfare as almost a week has passed since his last known sighting.

Cormac arrived home at about 2am last Monday but it is believed he left the house again a few hours later.

Cormac’s parents, Seamus and Lorraine Clare, said his disappearance was also totally out of character.

More than 400 people turned out at the weekend to assist gardaí including members of the Garda Water Unit and Civil Defence in a search of the area where he was last seen.

Gardaí have appealed for anyone who might have seen Cormac near his home last Monday morning or hitch-hiking on the N7 or N81 routes, to contact them.

Cormac is described as 6ft1in in height, of thin build with short, tightly-cut brown hair.

When last seen, he was wearing a navy jacket, a wine-coloured hoodie, navy tracksuit bottoms, and runners.