Parents believe missing son was murdered

Thirteen years after his disappearance, the parents of Aengus Gussie Shanahan have spoken out about how they believe he was murdered near a pub in Limerick.

The former Dell employee disappeared after leaving Coopers Bar on Joseph Street, Limerick, 13 years ago yesterday.

As well as a Garda cold case investigation, a group that searches for missing people has taken more than 70 witness statements in the case.

Gussie, who was captured on security camera footage near the pub, was never seen again after he walked through an adjoining alleyway at around 11.30pm on Feb 11, 2000.

It has emerged the Garda Serious Crime Review Team, headed up by Det Supt Christy Mangan, is to carry out inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance.

Speaking from their home in Ashbrook, Limerick, Bob and Nancy Shanahan remained steadfast in their search for the truth.

“You’re always hoping before now that it would have been solved. It’s long and drawn out. It still doesn’t get any easier. We’re hoping that people would have some bit of charity within themselves that they would tell us something. It’s horrible,” Bob Shanahan, 69, said.

“All we need is a bit of information — if the body is somewhere, where it is. Where we can get it. Where we can bring him home from and bury him.”

Sitting in their front living room, the poignant reminders of the tragic loss of their son are visible in family photographs that hang in frames neatly on the walls.

“We said long ago that we’re not even looking for gestures (convictions). We don’t even want to take part in that because that alone would be a bigger headache than anything. All we want is to get peace and give him a christian burial and have closure,” Bob explained.

“Naturally, certain people might not want to talk so if they want to give the information into a church or give it anonymously they can.”

Gussie would have turned 33 on Jan 23. The family took time out to remember their son on the day.

However, the one thing they could not do was visit a grave.

* Anyone with information is asked to ring the group’s anonymous phone line 085-2092119 or Roxboro Road Garda station on 061-214340.