Army joins search for Waterford woman

The Army yesterday joined the search for a Waterford woman who has been missing for 10 days.

Some 26 soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Battalion at James Stephens' Barracks in Kilkenny joined gardaí searching for 35-year-old Margaret (Meg) Walsh, who has not been seen since early on the Sunday of October 1st.

Comdt Gavin Young said the soldiers helped to search an area close to both the Waterford Regional Hospital at Ardkeen and the Waterpark rugby club.

He said reports that the search had moved to an area of south Kilkenny close to the Waterford county border were inaccurate.

The partially-wooded area being searched is off the Dunmore Road in the southeast of Waterford city and close to Ms Walsh's home in Ballinakill Downs.

The Army did not bring any specialist equipment to the scene but was invited to assist because of its expertise in operating in rough terrain.

Up to 80 gardaí, drawn from counties Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow, were also involved in yesterday's search.

Divers from the Garda sub-aqua unit are continuing to search a section of the River Suir known as The King's Channel.

Supt Dave Sheahan, of Waterford Garda station, is leading the investigation into the disappearance of Ms Walsh.

Supt Sheahan last night appealed to "owners of lock-up garages, people in charge of open spaces and farmers with out-buildings to search their premises and to contact gardaí immediately if they notice anything suspicious".

Supt Sheahan confirmed that Ms Walsh, who is married and has a 17-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, had returned to her home "which is within walking distance" of the Woodlands Hotel, early on Sunday, October 1st.

Gardaí believe that Ms Walsh's car, a silver Mitsubishi Carisma, left the estate that evening between 8pm and 8.30pm.

It is not known if Ms Walsh was driving the vehicle.

The car was found in the car-park of a former pub called The Uluru about 2.4km (1.5 miles) away last Wednesday at about 1.30am.

Supt Sheahan appealed for anyone who saw the car throughout that period to come forward.

It is understood that a forensic examination of the vehicle is ongoing at the Garda Technical Bureau in Dublin.

The search, which lasted throughout the hours of daylight yesterday, will resume this morning. Supt Sheahan has requested the continued involvement of the Army.

The soldiers and gardaí will today be joined by members of the Civil Defence along with family, friends and work colleagues of Ms Walsh.