A a new four-part documentary series set to air on TG4 will examine four unsolved missing persons cases and the impact they have had on families and communities in Ireland.
Ar Iarraidh (Missing), which will begin airing on TG4 next week, tells the stories of those missing through the eyes of their family and friends.
These deeply personal interviews give us an insight into the heartbreak that each family has suffered and how they continue to live with this ongoing grief on a daily basis, whilst also trying to maintain some kind of hope.
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Each family has a unique story to tell as to how their lives changed forever, from the moment their loved one disappeared.
Episode 1 - Ciara Breen
Airs on Wednesday May 1 at 9.30pm on TG4 and on the TG4 Player
On February 13, 1997, Ciara Breen disappeared from her home in Bachelor’s Walk, Dundalk. She was never seen again.
For over 20 years Ciara’s mother, Bernadette Breen, lived with the uncertainty of her only child’s faith, before sadly passing away.
A local man became the main suspect after there were concerns raised regarding the relationship he had with Ciara. Even with these concerns, there wasn’t enough evidence to make an arrest at that time. Regardless, the search for Ciara went on.
Years after Ciara’s disappearance, in 2015, did a search take place in an area called Balmer’s Bog, after a new lead detective, Pat Marry, began investigating Ciara’s case.
On the night she disappeared, it was suspected that Ciara had been wearing a floral dress, so there was great hope when a dress matching that description was unearthed in the bog. The dress was photographed and placed in evidence. The investigators were hopeful that Ciara’s mother could identify this as her daughter's dress, although Bernadette could not confirm that it was.
Bernadette never got an answer to her final appeal. She died on the June 28, 2018. Ciara and Bernadette’s remaining family are appealing to the public to come forward with any information they might have on what happened to Ciara that night.
The first episode of the new TG4 series looks at a family who continue to ask the questions their loved ones never got answers to. The episode will also include interviews with the now retired lead investigator on the case, Ciara’s former teacher, local journalists, and a former colleague of Bernadette Breen.
Episode 2 - Columba McVeigh
Airs on Wednesday May 8 at 9.30pm on TG4 and on the TG4 Player
On Halloween night 1975, 19-year old Columba McVeigh went out to buy a packet of cigarettes and was never seen again. His siblings have been looking for him ever since.
Columba was born in the quiet and small hamlet of Castle Caulfield in Co Tyrone but grew up in the nearby Parish of Donaghmore. Despite his happy childhood, Columba grew up in troubled times in Northern Ireland in the 70s. As a vulnerable teenager, it wasn’t long before he was sucked into a conflict that had, up to that point, been far from the McVeigh’s door.
When the British Authorities were unable to draw out any information about republican activity from Columba, it is believed that they convinced him to be used as bait to catch a prominent member of the IRA in the local area. Columba was sent to Crumlin Road Prison and kept in the political wing of the prison where he endured horrific beatings.
Later that year in 1975, Columba decided it was safer to leave Donaghmore, and moved south of the border, to Dublin. Columba disappeared shortly after this. His mother had hoped that he had moved country to create a better life for himself.
Then in 1998, in a statement read out to Columba’s brother Oliver McVeigh by the IRA, they admitted to abducting and murdering Columba. He was named as one of ‘The Disappeared’, a group of people who were abducted, murdered and buried in secret locations around Ireland.
Just a few families are still trying to recover their loved ones' remains. The latest search for Columba by the Independent Commision for the Location of Victims’ Remains, came to an end in November 2023. There have been six searches since 1999 covering a total of over 26 acres of Bragan Bog.
After almost 50 years, the McVeigh family vow to do all they can to continue to search. This programme follows the on-going search for Columba.
Episode 3 – Esra Uyrun
Airs on Wednesday May 15 at 9.30pm on TG4 and on the TG4 Player
On the morning of February 23, 2011, a week before her 39th birthday, Esra Uyrun went to her local shop to buy a pint of milk. The mother of one left her home in Dublin and was never seen again.
Esra and her husband moved to Ireland in 2006 when they received job offers from a company based in Dublin. A couple of years later in 2008, they had a child and settled in Clondalkin.
Esra’s family and friends were in complete shock to hear that she was missing. Her mother was due to visit her the following day. She was seen by her neighbour the day before she went missing, preparing her home and cleaning her windows excitedly awaiting her mother's arrival.
The new TG4 documentary looks at Esra’s last known movements the day she went missing and how her family continue their search for her. Esra’s sister Berna travelled to Dublin the day after she went missing and has frantically spent the past 12 years trying to get answers to questions that could offer her some peace.
Berna and their close family friend Ilknur, travel to Ireland from the UK several times a year. They dedicate every minute in Ireland to finding answers, in the hope someone will come forward with new information.
Episode three of Ar Iarraidh gives viewers an insight into the relentless appealing for information and heartbreak that the families of Missing Persons endure.
Episode 4 - Dean Roche
Airs on Wednesday May 22 at 9.30pm on TG4 and on the TG4 Player
On March 22, 2015, Dean Roche left his mother’s home in Hebron Park, Kilkenny, to buy a car. That was the last time he spoke to his mother. The last sighting of Dean was later that evening, in Ballyfoyle, Kilkenny.
In Hebron Park, Dean’s mother Geraldine was beginning to wonder where Dean was and why he hadn't come home like he said he would. This was completely out of character for Dean.
The car that Dean purchased that day was found crashed into a tree not far from where he had bought it. When Gardaí interviewed people in Ballyfoyle, specific details began to emerge about Dean's last known movements after crashing the car, and before he disappeared.
Desperate for any clues about his whereabouts, Dean’s mother and friends also decided to go out to Ballyfoyle themselves. That trip revealed what they saw as a vital piece of evidence.
Dean’s case has been shrouded in mystery since the day he vanished. His family and friends feel the key to unlocking the truth remains in the area where he was last seen.
With so many questions unanswered, they believe the investigation could be given new momentum, considering foul play. This programme follows a family desperately needing help locating their loved one.
If you are affected by any of the content discussed in this article please contact: Women's Aid - 24hr National Freephone Helpline 1800 341 900 www.womensaid.ie Samaritans Ireland Freephone: 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie
If you have any information please contact the National Missing Persons Helpline on 1800 442 552 or at office@nmph.ie
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