Gardaí and members of the Defence Forces have begun searching three sites in Co Carlow as they aim to trace the whereabouts of a missing man.
John Coakley (40) has been missing from his home in Carlow town since Saturday, April 15th.
The banks of the River Burrin, the banks of the River Barrow and the railway line around Carlow town are all being searched on Thursday in a bid to find Mr Coakley.
Appealing for information, his father, John Snr, told The Nationalist: “I am at my wits’ end. I get some sort of strength from finding out a little thing, but then it comes crashing down. It’s tearing me apart. I was due to retire in a month and looking forward to it. I don’t care about it; I just want him to be found, to be safe.”
John Coakley is described as approximately 6’ 1” (185cm) in height. He is of a thin build with black hair and green eyes. He was last seen wearing black Nike runners with reflective white strips, dark blue jeans, a black short-sleeved polo top and a sleeveless black gilet jacket. He was also carrying a short-handled shovel similar to a camping shovel.
John had suffered from anxiety and turned up at his father’s home at Kevin Barry Avenue at around 1.50 am on the morning he went missing. John Snr was asleep, but his stepmother Clare spoke to John. He was in an anxious state and believed someone was following him. Clare attempted to calm him before John left, heading towards Carlow town.
He was last seen on Kennedy Avenue in the vicinity of the bus park. Much to John Snr’s frustration, there is no CCTV covering the bus park.
“I cannot move on until I find out where he went from there. Did he get on a bus? I would be a happy man if he did.”
He believed his son was not in the right frame of mind and could possibly be seeking shelter somewhere. He asked people to look into their sheds and outbuildings.
“There is no need to worry about John, he would not hurt a fly,” he said.
An Garda Síochána appealed to landowners and people who may have buildings/out houses, or persons with vacant dwellings, in the search areas to check them to see if they have been used or might assist gardaí in locating John.
Anyone with any information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Carlow Garda Station on 059 913 6620, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
Written by Tomas Doherty
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