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'I would go so far as to beg them': Mother of missing Fiona Pender makes heartfelt appeal

Fiona Pender went missing 21 years ago today.

download-639- Fiona Pender Pender family Pender family

I can’t say it’s got any easier. It’s 21 years now. It’s hard to believe. It’s a lifetime. I missed her now as much as I missed her then.

THE MOTHER OF missing Offaly woman Fiona Pender has made a heartfelt appeal for information that would lead to the discovery of her daughter’s body, 21 years after her disappearance.

The 25-year-old left her apartment in Tullamore, Co Offaly on 23 August 1996 and was never seen again. She was seven months pregnant at the time.

Speaking to RTÉ, Josephine Pender acknowledged that her daughter may be dead, but said that she just wants to give her the dignity of a proper burial.

“I think of her baby a lot, who would have been 21,” she said. “This baby would have been new life in the family. It’s terrible that someone could harm her.”

She said that she sympathised with the family of Trevor Deely, and that although finding the body of a loved one would be harrowing, it would provide closure.

It’s a catch-22. You want it so much but then it is a terrible thing if we do find her. Someone has buried her in the ground. If you thought she was there, you’d dig it with your bare hands.

“I’ve been praying for Trevor Deely’s parents every night,” she said. “They won’t get over it – none of us will – but they deserve a bit of peace.”

In 2014, gardaí conducted a thorough search of a forest near Portlaoise but were unable to find Fiona Pender.

The search was concentrated at the foothills of the Slieve Bloom mountains, close to the Glenbarrow waterfall.

Josephine Pender said that she just wanted a chance to bury her daughter.

I don’t know whether I’m going to last. If anyone knows anything… I would go so far as to beg them to come forward. Hopefully it will lead to finding her. I’m not into punishment, I just want Fiona given back a bit of dignity… to lay her to rest with her daddy and her brother.

Read: ‘Some days I just cry and cry’: Fiona Pender’s mother on her daughter’s disappearance

Read: Fiona Pender search in Co Laois forest called off

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12 Comments
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    Mute David Higgins
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    Feb 13th 2013, 6:39 PM

    Usually in an economic crisis countries resort to economic protectionism and barriers to free trade. Thankfully we’ve learned from the past and are instead seeing free trade as one of the many routes to recovery. Fair play to Obama, ain’t no way in hell Mitt Romney would have touched this idea.

    Let’s hope we can use our presidency to advance these talks. We’ve everything to gain in the way of foreign direct investment and jobs.

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    Mute graham galvin
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    Feb 13th 2013, 6:47 PM

    the federal reserve runs america not the president so it wouldnt have made a difference whether its obama or romney.

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    Mute limofax
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    Feb 13th 2013, 6:48 PM

    If you want to learn from the past, maybe you should take a look at the mess that NAFTA made of the Mexican economy.

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    Mute graham galvin
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    Feb 13th 2013, 6:59 PM

    @limofax nafta also destroyed the US economy as mexican truck drivers undercut americans.US companies now outsource manufacturing to mexico as its cheaper & pay no import duties on goods.free trade is all about the big boys maximising profits.its the little guy that suffers with job losses.

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    Mute David Higgins
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:06 PM

    The damage to Mexican farmers is down to US subsidies to the corn industry, not to the free trade policy itself.

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    Mute David Higgins
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:08 PM
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    Mute limofax
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:18 PM

    Wrong on both counts. You need to Google it a bit harder than that.

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    Mute Eric De Red
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    Feb 13th 2013, 9:33 PM

    Mexico’s economy is booming. GDP growth of 4% last year and rising.

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    Mute Martin Gregory
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:04 PM

    Another step towards a one world government ? US, Canada & Mexico linked in the AMERO & Europe linked in the Euro & now the US & Europe will be linked so when the next crisis happens the talks will be about lets link the Euro & AMERO to create jobs & growth ? ? ! !

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    Mute Keith Wizzy
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    Feb 13th 2013, 6:46 PM

    The ‘invisible hand’ as introduced by Adams into Economics will be used to line more pockets for the rich from the hard work of the middle and lower classes.

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    Mute David Higgins
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:01 PM

    Can you imagine if people made these comments when free trade in the EU was first proposed?

    Thank God TheJournal wasn’t around back then, Europe would still be at war.

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    Mute Keith Wizzy
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:11 PM

    Oh I contradicted your faith in greed just as I’m contradicting your belief in supernatural superstitions now. This god of your was created as another control mechanism for the workforce. A better life in the next one. Don’t make me laugh :)

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    Mute limofax
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:16 PM

    I don’t think David that there is anything wrong with being very cautious about any new agreements. However, blind optimism is just plain stupid. A deal will only be a good deal if its a great deal for our citizens. Anything which would further drive down wages or allow multinationals to lay waste to our SME sector or independent retailers would be a disaster.

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    Mute David Higgins
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:17 PM

    Well look, you go close the borders while I get my coat.

    There’s no future in this country without free trade.

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    Mute Keith Wizzy
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:27 PM

    They once told us a country couldn’t survive without free trade in men, women and children of the same skin colour as the lad in the pic. Don’t take everything you learn in Trinners as a student mate as gospel mate. Been there. Done that ;)

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    Mute limofax
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:36 PM

    I never mentioned closing the borders. I was talking about a good deal for our citizens. David, you could save yourself and FG any further daily embarrassment by not commenting on anything at all. I’d nearly believe that the reason FF polled higher than FG on Monday is down to your mutterings on here. If you’re the future of FG, then we all need to get our coats. Gullibility is not something to shout about.

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    Mute Keith Wizzy
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    Feb 13th 2013, 7:40 PM

    Oh he’s a blueshirt. They’ve always been all about expansion. I should have known better and realised his was a party political broadcast.

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    Mute Mags Cunney
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    Feb 13th 2013, 8:08 PM

    Watch the US government pushing GM sh1t on Europe with Monsanto nudging them along. They’ve screwed up farming and food over there. Soon you’ll hear how GMO will help our agri industry prosper…. NO NO NO!!!!!!

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    Mute Jack Bowden
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    Feb 13th 2013, 10:08 PM

    Free trade will benefit the whole world. This is great news.
    American’s eat GM food with no adverse effects to their health or environment. I would like to have the option of buying cheaper food. What if there’s a global famine in 50 years or so. I want food security for our grandchildren’s generation. Let the anti GM people starve and gather wild berries. The rest of us can eat crops.

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    Mute Martin Gregory
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    Feb 14th 2013, 1:10 PM

    Is that why the EU has banned some of Monsanto chemicals because it stops bees from collecting pollen & is killing them off ?
    Have you not seen the studies on the rats that eat only Monsanto sprayed chemical food ?
    Food security ? Tell the EU to stop putting a cap on what can be used, like their law trying to make bananas more straight or odd shaped fruit being banned ?

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    Mute D
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    Feb 14th 2013, 10:03 AM

    Be prepared to see SOPA or ACTA like proposals being made core parts of this agreement. They have done it before with Canada.

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    Mute Ireland for Change
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    Feb 14th 2013, 7:59 AM

    Roll on the NWO

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