Search continues for Wicklow man

THE SEARCH continued in Co Wicklow yesterday for missing Wicklow town man Stephen O’Meara (26), who has not been seen for almost a week.

Gardaí and local people concentrated their search in areas of woodlands between the villages of Rathdrum and Annacurra near Aughrim, in the Wicklow hills.

Mr O’Meara, a father of three, from Rosehill, Wicklow, was last seen in the town at about 6pm on Thursday last. He is described as 188cm tall (6ft 2in), with an athletic build and sandy, receding hair.

When last seen he was wearing black Manchester United tracksuit bottoms, a dark grey tracksuit top, and a white or navy Nike T-shirt with a red line across the chest. He was wearing black and white Nike Air Max runners and a thick gold chain.

Gardaí in Wicklow have restated their call for anyone with information on Mr O’Meara’s whereabouts to contact them.

The gardaí maintained they were still treating Mr O’Meara’s disappearance as a missing person’s case yesterday, but acknowledged they are becoming increasingly concerned for his safety.

Yesterday close friends of Mr O’Meara’s family appealed on RTÉ for anyone with information to get in touch with gardaí. Friends have asked anyone withholding information to consider the feelings of Mr O’Meara’s family members.

Mr O’Meara lives with his girlfriend and children at Rosehill. Locals said they thought Mr O’Meara had been away from the family home for an extended period in recent times.

One local politician who asked not to be named said it was becoming increasingly difficult to see how the situation could end happily.

“People genuinely do not know what has happened to this man,” he said. “This is not a regular feature of life in Wicklow town and there is a lot of fear as to what might be behind the disappearance.”

The area in which gardaí were conducting their search is on open ground and woodland in a scenic but isolated area close to Aughrim and slightly west of the Vale of Avoca.

Anyone with information should contact Wicklow Garda station on 0404 60140 or the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111.