‘She has been hidden long enough’: JoJo Dullard’s sister makes emotional appeal

JoJo Dullard’s sister urges anyone with information to come forward 31 years after disappearance

The sister of JoJo Dullard is urging anyone with information about her disappearance to come forward rather than take it “to their grave”, saying she has “been hidden long enough”.

JoJo’s sister, Kathleen Bergin, appealed for information ahead of a memorial event at Kilkenny Castle on Sunday to mark the 31st anniversary of her disappearance.

Family and friends will be joined by relatives of other missing people at 2pm at the castle’s main entrance. The group will then walk to the missing persons memorial in the grounds for a service remembering JoJo.

Ms Bergin urged anyone who may have come forward during the investigation but felt unable to disclose everything they knew at the time to come forward now.

“If they have any doubt at all, it is so important that they come forward. It must be a burden for them to carry this and we are hoping that they don’t carry it to their grave and that is the worry now as we are all getting older.” 

“Somebody knows something.” 

She added: “People who have information have a choice to come forward and help us. They can bring JoJo home or else move the investigation on another bit. But we need that help and for people who have that information to come forward.” 

She also said: “She has been hidden long enough now, somewhere on her own, buried and on her own, with nobody being able to go to her. It is long enough – she just needs to be brought home.”

JoJo Dullard’s disappearance

JoJo. 21, was last heard from when she phoned her friend, Mary Cullinan, from a phone box in Moone, Co Kildare, at 11.37pm on November 9, 1995.

She was travelling home from Dublin, where she had spent time socialising in Bruxelles Bar on Harry Street, Dublin 2. She had left home in Callan at 8.30am that morning and had hoped to catch a bus back to Kilkenny that night, but missed it.

She managed to get another lift to Moone at around 11.15pm, from where she made her final phone call to Ms Cullinan.

She cut the call short, telling Ms Cullinan that a car had stopped and she was going to take the lift. There have been no confirmed sightings of JoJo since.

Two days after the 29th anniversary of her disappearance in 2024, a man was arrested and a large area of land was searched for the missing woman, but no trace of her was found. The man was subsequently released without charge.

Further searches have since taken place along the Kildare-Wicklow border, including earlier this year.

Ms Bergin said investigators were still actively working to find JoJo.

“They are still in contact with us all the time,” she said.

But she added: “We really need people who have information to come forward after 31 years. We are not trying to catch people out and we are not looking for revenge but we want to have her remains found and have her brought home and laid to rest beside Mam and Dad. That is all we want.” 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kildare Garda Station on 045 527 730, any garda station or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.