Diggers used to search for woman missing since 1985

The search for a woman who went missing from her house over 30 years ago is set to continue for the week after excavations began close to her home in Connemara yesterday morning.

Barbara Walsh, who was almost 34 when she disappeared, has not been seen since a party at her house in June 1985.

The mother of seven young children was not reported missing for a week and there has been no trace of her since she was last seen at 4am on June 22, 1985. Known locally as Babe Dara Aindriú Walsh, she had five daughters and two sons, and she lived with her husband Dara at Rusheenamanagh in Carna, Co Galway.

Her husband died in recent years and the mystery of her disappearance was revisited when gardaí carried out a review of missing persons files in January.

Gardaí carried out house-to-house enquiries in the Connemara area over the summer and the information received prompted 112 lines of enquiry.

The events of the night of June 21 and the morning of June 22 in 1985 is a significant part of the investigation.

Mr Walsh’s brother had returned from Australia and there was a celebration in a pub that evening. It is thought a group which went to a party in the Walsh house after the pub included several prominent people in the community.

The last confirmed sighting of Mrs Walsh was at 4am on June 22. Garda files show she was not reported missing until a week later on June 29.

Supt Sean Glynn said the search is likely to continue for days. An area around the Walsh family home and lands was screened off, with small diggers and other machinery moved on site.

A specialist cadaver search dog from the UK is also involved in the operation which began at 8am yesterday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact at Clifden Garda station on 095 22500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.