No resources will be spared in the search for missing Midleton schoolboy Robert Holohan, a senior Garda officer promised yesterday.
Assistant Commissioner Tony Hickey visited Midleton yesterday to liaise with officers heading the investigation into Robert's disappearance on January 4th after he left his home at Ballyedmond outside the east Cork town.
"We have put huge resources into the investigation already and no effort will be spared to find Robert," said Mr Hickey. He reiterated his appeal to property owners all over the country to check their premises, including lock-ups and mobile homes, where someone could be hidden.
"It has happened before in Garda investigations that people have information which could help us but they don't think it's significant or they think we already know it, or they think we're too busy to talk to them. I would appeal to any such people here to contact us."
Mr Hickey made his appeal as gardaí staged a reconstruction of Robert leaving his home on his new BMX silver bike in the hope it might jog peoples' memories and throw up new clues on his disappearance.
A boy of similar height, build and hair colour as Robert cycled the route Robert took on January 4th before his last confirmed sighting. Gardaí also placed a bike similar to Robert's at the spot where his was found, although Garda sources say a forensic examination of the bike hasn't shown significant fingerprint evidence to date.
Garda checkpoints were mounted on the roads around Ballyedmond yesterday to ask motorists who travelled them at the same time last week if they had noticed anything suspicious.
Supt Liam Hayes issued appeals for a number of people seen in Ballyedmond and the surrounding townlands on the afternoon Robert disappeared to contact them so they could be eliminated from the inquiry.
Gardaí want to talk to a man seen getting out of a red van at the Curragh Wood carpark at about 5.10 p.m. and also to a well-dressed man, possibly an auctioneer, who was seen at Egan's Field at 1.15 p.m. and again at 2.40 p.m.
They would also like to hear from a male jogger who was seen at the junction of Ballyedmond Hill and the Lisgoold Road at about 4 p.m. to eliminate him from their inquiries.
A number of people who played golf at the East Cork Golf Club on January 4th have come forward but gardaí are asking for three remaining golfers to do so in case they noticed something suspicious in the area.
Yesterday some 300 volunteers joined 200 gardaí and 120 army personnel to search three areas: Ballyadam in Carrigtwohill to Ballyedmond; Carrigoghna to Midleton; and Carrigoghna to Ballyspillane crossroads.
Meanwhile, Robert's mother, Majella, reiterated an earlier appeal to anyone who may have taken Robert and is holding him captive to release him. She also urged people throughout the country to contact gardaí if they had noticed suspicious activity.
"We've been told that no news is good news, that at least they haven't found a body, but at the same time he's missing and I'm afraid he's gone to England or somewhere like that. We just want him found, we want him home - our life has been turned upside down.
"Maybe this was a prank that got out of hand and they might be afraid that they can't let him go but I would say to them 'Let him go'. Robert doesn't deserve this. He's only an innocent 11-year-old boy; he needs to be back at school and at home with us."