Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
MORE THAN FOUR weeks on from the day that Tom Kennedy went missing from his home in Finglas, family, friends and local volunteers are still searching in west Dublin.
The volunteers are searching every night and this evening focused their efforts on a field in the Civil Defence felt hadn’t been sufficiently ruled out.
Last night a ‘Light of Hope’ ceremony was held in the scout’s den on Cardiffsbridge Road to give a boost to Tom’s family and the volunteers searching for him.
“It’s harder for us at this stage,” says Tom’s daughter-in-law Claire. “We thought the search would take a few days so it gets more difficult the further along it goes. It’s getting difficult to keep hope and we want him to be be found whatever the outcome.”
Last night’s service brought together the Civil Defence, under water search teams as well as civillian volunteers. Local stores donated refreshments and the family have thanked local business for their help during the search.
Claire says that there’s a dedicated crew of about 10 people who are out every night looking for the missing 81-year-old. These are supplemented by different rescue groups and other volunteers and there’s usually up to 40 people involved in each search.
Some of the searches have had up to 80 people but, as the weeks have gone on and children return to school, understandably people cannot devote as much of their time to the search.
Kennedy was last seen on the night of 29 July, when he left his home in the Virginia Park area of Finglas at around 9pm, without bringing his mobile phone with him.
At the time, his family told TheJournal.ie they were particularly concerned for his well-being because it was totally out of character for him not to return home at night, and because he had recently experienced health problems.
Each night the search teams meet at the den and have plan in place for which areas they will concentrate on. The searches have focused on Finglas and surrounding areas but there have been searches as far off as Baldoyle.
Gardaí have repeatedly renewed their appeal for information from the public about Tom Kennedy’s whereabouts.
He is described as 5’3″/5’4″ and of slim build. He was wearing dark trousers, black velcro shoes and a white polo shirt with blue stripes.
He was also wearing his glasses and watch when he left home.
If you have any information please call all Finglas Garda station on 01-666-7500, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111, or contact any Garda station.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
If I hear anyone else say “life style choice” in relation to social welfare, I swear to God I wont be responsible!!!
The other thing that I m tired of hearing is “we need to reduce social welfare to motivate people to go back to work” Our TDs receive over €2500 pay per week, plus expenses, free transport etc and they are spending their time on how to cut child welfare by €10 and the dole by €8. Those who profit most from Irelands wealth are mostly tax exiles and pay nothing at all …is something wrong here?? Should we not be “motivating” those who earn €1 million plus to be paying their fair share?
I “live” on Social Welfare. Yes you could say it is a “lifestyle choice”. I have cardiac artery disease, diabetes and arthritis, and am on Disability Allowance. I get the same amount to exist on as someone trying to find a job. It is not a lot. In fact it is not enough. Do our T.D.s know or care? I think not. Would they do anything if they did know?
NO! Because they are not concerned about how ordinary people get by.
Oh Sugar !!
this country has thee most disconected politicians in relation to real life and how we cope and live with the decisions they make.
living on social welfare is a great lifestyle choice, i do it all the time :-P
It is an absolute disgrace what happened to Fr Kevin Reynolds and I am happy for him that his name was cleared. Why the hell won’t Dev jnr respect this mans wishes and those of Fr. Reynolds legal team?
Before cutting social welfare for single mothers, can we please first have a National plan to provide community childcare to every family? Community Childcare workers do a great job but when they have to be closed during school holidays, what’s the point?
Believe it or not, not every child in this country has a granny who can take over during school holidays.
Am I the only person who thinks the defamation by autocomplete thing is stupid? It would be like punishing a news reporter for reporting the news. It happened and people were looking up the recievership online to find out information about it so google took a popular term being used and suggested it as a search item. Google simpley did what it’s supposed to do, help people find information online in a quick manner by streamlining what is relevent to what people wanted at that time.
If the term “receivership” is now considered pejorative then google in Ireland had better beware, as the number of businesses in that situation is more likely to grow than shrink.
have your say