GARDAÍ ARE to excavate a trench at a Dublin hospital which was filled in on the morning that a woman went missing from the facility more than 30 years ago.
Alice Clifford (57), Cremona Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, went missing from St Loman’s Hospital in west Dublin on November 28th, 1979. She was never found.
Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty told a “for mention” hearing of an inquest into Mrs Clifford’s death at Dublin County Coroner’s Court yesterday that a person had contacted his office and “has brought forward new evidence”.
The individual informed the Office of the Dublin County Coroner that a trench was dug at St Loman’s Hospital to lay electric cable, and that it was filled in on the morning Mrs Clifford went missing.
Gardaí will need a few weeks to excavate the site, the inquest heard.
The new evidence emerged in the last seven days following an adjournment of the inquest into Mrs Clifford’s death last week. “We have to investigate that further,” said Dr Geraghty.
The coroner granted an application by Det Insp Dick McDonnell of Lucan Garda station for an adjournment of the inquest to allow time for the excavations to be carried out.
He adjourned the inquest under Section 25.1 of the Coroner’s Act 1962 until a date in November.
Dr Geraghty said he hoped he would be able to hold the inquest in full on that date.
It is understood there has been no development in the area where the trench was dug, and gardaí hope to narrow down the field of excavation to as specific an area as possible.
The Dublin county coroner announced last week that he had decided to open an inquest into Mrs Clifford’s death at the request of Mrs Clifford’s family, and with the permission of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
He said he was holding the inquest in an effort to establish what happened to Mrs Clifford and to establish whether she is still alive or dead.
Mrs Clifford, a mother of seven, had Alzheimer’s disease and was being cared for at the hospital when she went missing.
The alarm was raised when she could not be found for her evening meal. Garda inquiries at the time failed to find any leads.
The family has accepted that their mother is dead, but they are still seeking answers as to what happened to her.
In March 2008 her family made a renewed appeal for information. Mrs Clifford’s daughter attended the inquest yesterday.