Video by Nicky Ryan

IT IS NOW eight years since mother-of-one Esra Uyrun disappeared. 

The 34-year-old left her home in Clondalkin in Dublin on the morning of 23 February 2011 to go to a local shop. She was expected to return shortly so her husband could take the car to work, but she was never seen again.

She has now been missing for eight years. 

Her sister Berna Fidan spoke to TheJournal.ie this week as she and her daughter put up posters in Bray – where Esra’s car was found abandoned – to remind people of the anniversary of her disappearance. 

“You know there’s always a glimmer of hope as time goes by I’m finding it harder and harder to believe I’ll actually find her alive. But never say never.”

She said the last eight years have “taken a toll” on the family, who are living in England. 

There have been no confirmed sightings of Esra in Bray, though her car was found there and her phone last pinged on the far side of Bray Head.  Gardaí believe she took her own life but her sister does not accept that. 

“I’m not convinced she got out of the car or that she drove the car this far. There’s always been suspicion in us that maybe something happened to her near her home and her car was just dumped here.”

She pointed out that it took 40 minutes for her sister’s car to get to a roundabout near her home that should have been at most a five-minute drive – this was the first time the car was caught on CCTV. 

“I am pleading desperately again because it’s half term week again maybe the same people are here [in Bray] again as were there then.”

Esra’s car had a near-collision when it turned onto the strand in Bray and Berna said the driver her car pulled out in front of has never come forward. 

“That person should have seen who was driving the car. I just want proof she drove her car there willingly.”

I find that hard to believe [she took her own life] considering I spoke to her only days before she went missing. She’d invited my mum over, all the plans she made herself and all of a sudden to disappear the day before my mum was due to arrive here to visit her for a month. That doesn’t sound right to me at all.

Hoax calls

Fidan said she has received a lot of information from members of the public over the years, but some of this has been purposefully false detail or hoax calls. 

“It is sad we get targeted sometimes with false hope. Yes we want any lead, any shred of evidence and I will follow-up anything that’s given to me,” she said.

“But please don’t come with false information because that hurts more because that builds our hopes up and I come all this way and I go back again empty-handed. And it’s not fair on us.”

Esra is described as 5’3” in height, with dark hair and green eyes. When last seen she was wearing black leggings, white Nike trainers, and a dark top.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ronanstown Garda Station on 01 666 7700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.