As fears grew for the missing Newbridge student, Ms Deirdre Jacob, the search was widened in Co Kildare yesterday and gardai have asked a young woman who was seen in the area to come forward.
Ms Jacob (18) went missing about 300 yards from her home on the Barrettstown Road near Newbridge last Tuesday, between 3 p.m. and 3.30 p.m.
Yesterday her father, Mr Michael Jacob, made an emotional appeal for people countrywide to keep a watch for her and to keep on searching. "If Deirdre is out there, maybe she could get in contact with us, phone us. "We want to appeal for anyone that might have any shred of information, even a tiny little piece, that could make the breakthrough we're waiting for," Mr Jacob said.
"If there is anybody, her friends, anybody, that has any information, we feel there is a chance that Deirdre is still out there," he said. Perhaps if she had told them something it could be of help.
He also asked farmers and Dublin people to search their properties and outhouses and derelict houses. They were close to Dublin, so maybe she had gone there and maybe she would be found there, he said.
Asked how he was feeling, Mr Jacob said: "Not good". Gardai in Newbridge said they are anxious to locate a young woman seen walking at the Hawkfield Bog about a mile from Ms Jacob's house between 5 and 6 p.m. last Tuesday.
A Garda spokesman said they wanted to eliminate her from their inquiries, as she was similar in description to Ms Jacob. She had been walking towards the Hill of Allen and was described to them as aged 20 to 21, 5 ft 3 in or 5 ft 4 ft, medium build, with dark hair just above shoulder length. She was wearing a navy or dark blue track suit.
The woman was also carrying a bag, described as dark blue, on her back.
Ms Jacob is described as being 5 ft 2 in to 5 ft 3 in, of slim build, dark brown hair not quite shoulder length, and with grey/green eyes.
When last seen she was wearing dark navy jeans, with Nike white runners with some blue, a navy polo shirt with white on the collar and short sleeves. She may have been wearing a navy sweat shirt with the Nike logo on the front, with a beige colour and red stripe on the edge. She carried a large black bag with the Caterpillar yellow logo on the flap.
Gardai widened the search yesterday. They had been searching the River Liffey near Ms Jacob's home and a five-mile radius around her house. Local people as well as gardai, civil defence, Order of Malta, sub-aqua units and the Defence Forces have all joined the search. On Tuesday, Ms Jacob went into Newbridge at lunchtime and visited her grandmother. She then went to the AIB to get a bank draft for an educational course. She was seen on the bank's close circuit television at 2.20 p.m. She then went to the post office to post the draft, where she was picked up on TV monitors again.
She was also seen talking to a friend near the pedestrian crossing, and then observed a number of times on her way back home, the last time about 300 yards from her gate at around 3 p.m. or 3.30 p.m.
The Garda spokesman said that Barrettstown Road was very busy as it led to Clane and Naas and it would have had heavy traffic at that time on a Tuesday afternoon. It is believed she did not have much money on her but would have had a bank card.
Gardai at Newbridge have issued a number for anybody who has information to contact them, on (045) 431212, or the Garda confidential telephone number, 1-8-666111.