Remembering Ireland's missing persons

EVERY year thousands of people go missing in Ireland, causing much anguish and loneliness amongst their loved ones. It is difficult to imagine the scale of such pain.

Everyone is touched by grief at some stage in their lives but when a loved one disappears, so many questions go unanswered. Before we know it, the days turn to weeks and the weeks to years. Everyone seems to be able to get on with their lives after the reports on our television screens and in the newspapers move to the next story. Everybody, that is, except those that are most affected by it — family and close friends.

It’s difficult to comprehend; but a glance at the Missing Persons Helpline website www.missingpersons.ie, tells us that more than 4,000 people go missing in Ireland every year. The majority of these people are found safe and sound but over the years there have been many high-profile cases of people who have one day left their home and never returned.