While gardaí are reluctant to offer motives for the puzzling kidnapping of Ms Helen Judge, the Garda has a good record in tracking down perpetrators, writes Alison Healy
Before this week, Allenwood was a small Kildare village not known for anything in particular. It does not even merit a mention on the website of East Coast-Midlands Tourism.
In fact, the village was so anonymous that, for most of Monday, RTÉ Radio news referred to it as "Allenstown".
But after a week in the headlines, the village will forever be remembered for the surreal series of events which began late on Sunday night.
Mother-of-three Ms Helen Judge (41) lives with two of her sons in Derrymullen, about two minutes' walk from the village. Sunday night was probably a typical night for her. One of her sons, Jason, was in bed while the youngest boy, Shane, was at a disco in Clane.
She was thought to be watching television in her bedroom sometime between midnight and 2.30 a.m. when at least three people arrived at her house. Her duvet looked as though it was folded back unhurriedly and there were no signs of a struggle in the house.
Her son appeared to have slept on, unaware of any commotion. Ms Judge was barefoot when she was taken and was wearing a lemon-coloured nightdress and dressing-gown.
However, she brought her mobile phone with her. It is not yet clear if she had the presence of mind to take the phone, or if her captors ordered her to take it, to give them a ready method of communication with the family.
Ms Joan Moore, who works in the nearby take-away, left the premises at about 1 a.m. that morning. "I didn't notice anything but you wouldn't be expecting to see anything," she said during the week. "It's terrifying really."
The front door was left ajar when they departed and this was to be the key in alerting her son. Shane (18) arrived back from the disco and thought it strange that his mother had left the door open for him. He quickly discovered she was gone.
When her mobile phone was called, the kidnappers said they wanted €200,000 from Ms Judge's husband Liam for her safe release. Mr Liam Judge comes from a large family that is well known and respected in the haulage business.
However, in recent years he got more involved in business interests abroad. Gardaí would not comment on suggestions this week that the abduction was related to these business interests.
The ransom sought (€200,000, or about £157,500) was not a large amount for such a risky venture and it was reported that the gang claimed they were owed money by Mr Judge.
"We couldn't comment on that," one Garda source said. "All I can say is that she was the innocent party in all of this."
Nor would they comment on reports linking Mr Judge with Ms Tracy Gilligan, daughter of convicted drug dealer John Gilligan.
Mr Judge spends a lot of his time abroad, mainly at a house in Spain, and he was not at home when the kidnappers gave their ransom demand to his family.
After another phone call and a text message, the family's only method of contact with the gang was removed when the mobile phone was turned off.
It is understood that gardaí honed in on business associates of Mr Judge and questioned people who had dealings with him in the past. They also erected checkpoints around north Dublin where a criminal gang is based, and the Garda helicopter patrolled in the region.
Rumours had been circulating about Ms Judge's imminent release since she was captured but a real breakthrough was expected on Tuesday night. The necessary tip-off finally came to Kildare Garda station at 3 a.m. on Wednesday. Within minutes, Louth-based gardaí were on their way to Omeath, in the Cooley Peninsula. Reinforcements arrived soon afterwards.
Ms Judge was instrumental in her rescue at 5.30 a.m., when her screams for help were heard by gardaí searching Jenkinstown Wood. It appeared that she had been held in an outhouse on the Dublin/Louth border before being taken to the wood and ordered not to move. Ms Judge had not been bound or gagged and did not have any obvious physical injuries. It will take longer for the psychological injuries to manifest themselves. Neighbours in Allenwood expressed concern this week that Ms Judge would be severely traumatised by the ordeal.
Increasing the trauma is the fact that she is a very private person. "She kept herself to herself," said local hairdresser Ms Ann Magee. Another woman said she had not seen Ms Judge much since she had a health scare over a year ago - she has a heart condition. "She wouldn't want anyone fussing about her and asking how she was," the woman said.
Having your photograph splashed all over the newspapers and television must be the ultimate nightmare for someone who never sought attention.
And while it may seem minor, no woman would want her weight and body shape broadcast to the State, as gardaí had to do when seeking information about her whereabouts.
Her name now joins a long list of kidnapping victims, the most famous being Ms Jennifer Guinness, the dentist Mr John O'Grady, Mr Ben Dunne and Mr Don Tidey. It may be of some consolation to Ms Judge to know that, in most cases in this State, kidnappers have served prison terms for their deeds.