Pender’s mother fears she may not see daughter’s remains

Having suffered poor health, the mother of missing Offaly woman Fiona Pender fears she may die before the remains of her daughter and unborn grandchild are located.

Fiona Pender disappeared from her flat on Church Street in Tullamore on August 22, 1996. The 25-year-old hairdresser and part-time model was seven months pregnant at the time.

She will be remembered at the first annual ‘Fiona’s Way’ walk along the banks of the Grand Canal in Tullamore this Sunday.

Speaking on the 18th anniversary of her disappearance yesterday, Fiona’s heartbroken mother Josephine said: “I would have hoped to have found Fiona before I die but I have been very ill this year.”

In recent months, Mrs Pender has been in and out of hospital, having suffered a mini-stroke, lung infections and pneumonia.

“I’ve been very sick for the last few months … the doctors are putting it down to stress,” she explained. Although now out of hospital, she said, “it’s hard to keep going as the years go on”.

While she has given up hope of finding them alive, Mrs Pender wants her daughter and grandchild to have a proper christian burial.

“I would appeal to people who know out there, just please tell me where she is,” she implored.

Mrs Pender believes there are people out there who know where her daughter is and she hopes that, with the passage of time, they may now find it in their hearts to reveal her daughter’s whereabouts.

Her grandchild would have been 18 years old “on October 20, so they would have done their Leaving Cert, gone to college, so we have missed out on all that”, she pointed out.

Following a lengthy campaign, including a petition containing almost 13,000 signatures, a 4.5km looped walk along the Grand Canal was named Fiona’s Way last May.

The starting point is marked by a memorial to Fiona, which was designed by her younger brother John.

The support from the community and the creation of Fiona’s Way has provided some comfort to the Pender family. “It’s something to remember her,” said Mrs Pender. “An awful lot of people have come to me and said they done Fiona’s Way and enjoyed it,” she added.

Anyone with information regarding Fiona’s disappearance can contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, Tullamore Garda Station on 057-9327600 or any garda station.