Iraq: British hostage Mr Ken Bigley's Irish connections are fundamental to securing his release, according to the hostage's brother, Paul. Last night he told The Irish Times he believed his family's Irish heritage was "absolutely vital" to the campaign.
He spoke of his gratitude to the Irish people for their support to him and his family and described how the website of the Arabic news station, al-Jazeera, crashed twice as a result of the number of e-mails sent by Irish people calling for his brother's release.
The response from Irish people had been "absolutely unbelievable", he said.
Last night he spoke to a Labour Party conference fringe meeting via audio link.
"I told them the truth. I said that if it weren't for Dublin we wouldn't be here today. I see the future of this campaign in Dublin not in London."
He said that he was more than satisfied with the statement issued by Mr Ahern on Friday and asked why Mr Blair did not do the same.
The Labour Foreign Affairs spokesman, Mr Michael D Higgins, was in contact with Mr Bigley yesterday.
He said it was important to emphasise the Bigley family's Irish connections.
"It is a fact that his mother was born in Ticknock, Dublin, and that he and his brothers are entitled to Irish passports," he said.
Mr Higgins said he was "quite confident" that attention was being paid to the issue in the Arab world.
Meanwhile, the remaining members of the Bigley family continued their wait yesterday for news.
The strain of the family's ordeal was taking its toll on Mr Bigley's 86-year-old mother, Lil. She had been taken to hospital for a second time late on Saturday afternoon, suffering from stress. There was no sign yesterday that she would be released.
Terry Waite, the former Church of England envoy who was held hostage in Lebanon for five years, also visited the Bigley home at the weekend.
"The strain of these situations on the family is considerable. I was able to tell them that when you are a hostage and standing at the point of death, you find inner strength you did not think you had and I'm pretty sure that is what Ken will have found."
Asked if he was willing to play the role of intermediary, Mr Waite said: "If I felt there was a reasonable opportunity of doing anything constructive, of course I would."
Father John Thompson, the priest at the nearby St Francis de Sales Church, held a mass on Saturday night. He also quoted from the Koran in another service held yesterday morning.
Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, who converted to Islam in the seventies, also called for the release of Mr Bigley. In a letter, he urged the kidnappers to free him "in the name of Allah".
He urged them to show the world the justice and mercy that Islam teaches.
The singer's letter, dated September 24th and released via the British Embassy in Baghdad, begins: "As a member of the Muslim Council I request you, in the name of Allah, the Rahman, to release the British citizen, Ken Bigley, for the good name of our religion and according to the sayings of Allah." Last week he was refused entry to the US amid fears he had financially supported the Hamas terrorist group, a claim he denied. - (Additional reporting Guardian Service)