Northern Ireland

Noah Donohoe search: 'The community is needed to find this boy'

Volunteers gather in north Belfast to search for missing 14-year-old Noah Donohoe. Picture by Hugh Russell
Volunteers gather in north Belfast to search for missing 14-year-old Noah Donohoe. Picture by Hugh Russell Volunteers gather in north Belfast to search for missing 14-year-old Noah Donohoe. Picture by Hugh Russell

BEFORE the volunteer search parties set off, a message from missing 14-year-old Noah Donohoe's mother was read out to the crowd.

"I am so overwhelmed by the support of people coming together to help find my son," Fiona Donohoe said on Facebook.

"It is actually giving me and my family the strength to fight for him to be found."

Huge numbers had gathered yesterday at 10am in Northwood Park, a small wooded area tucked off Shore Road in north Belfast.

Read More: Police say missing Belfast schoolboy's family are 'completely distraught'Opens in new window ]

The call for volunteers had gone out online, and people from across the city and beyond responded in their droves.

They arrived in small groups, slowly and politely filing along the narrow pathways into the park – adults and children, young and old, some with walking sticks, some with pet dogs on leads.

The circular central clearing was soon full. Some wore face masks, but social distancing was difficult to maintain in this cross-community search effort.

Volunteers were divided into groups. While some searched undergrowth and more difficult locations, others went from street to street, door to door, scouring alleyways and speaking to residents.

Amid the rainbow-themed messages in front windows which have become a familiar sight during the coronavirus crisis, some homes displayed 'missing person' posters for Noah, showing the schoolboy's smiling face.

"Have you checked your back garden or anything? Just have a wee look. Just in case," said one volunteer on a householder's doorstep – a simple message, repeated countless times in the hope of a breakthrough.

The volunteers regrouped at The Hubb community centre beside Crusaders football ground. Nearby, a police search team checked manholes.

Thomas Holmes (25) was among those leading search teams. He described the community response as "absolutely outstanding".

Following recent reports of sectarian incidents in the nearby Grove playing fields and Westlands area, he said it showed the community in a more positive light.

"Those incidents, it's a minority of the community. But now the community is needed for a proper reason – to find this little boy and get him home safe."

Mr Holmes in recent days became a father for the first time following the birth of his daughter Molly.

The case of a missing child is "just one of them causes that everyone can relate to".

"Recently I had my daughter, nine days ago. As soon as this happened the first thing I thought was, 'What if it was her?' I think a lot of people here can relate," he said.

Politicians from various parties also joined the search effort, including Sinn Féin MP John Finucane and SDLP councillor Noreen McClelland.

DUP councillor Dean McCullough was among those organising and coordinating the volunteers.

He estimated that "a couple of hundred easily" had turned up to help.

"It's a phenomenal community response. We have searched the immediate area, broken up into teams and now we have all met again at The Hubb community resource centre which has been set up as a community headquarters," he said.

"We are urging people if you can to come and join us in searching, and if you can't do that, search your own home, search your garden, front and back. Search whatever you can.

"We're just trying to coordinate and maximise our resources to have as effective a search as possible.

"We would urge anyone with any information at all to phone 101."

Before noon, volunteers were again organised into groups. As the day wore on, people dressed for all terrains began tying their jackets around their waists.

In a sign of the cross-community nature of the volunteer effort, one team searched throughout Alexandra Park – which is divided by a so-called 'peace wall'.

Volunteer Kelly Donaghy (32) said of the community response: "It's absolutely amazing.

"All the community from far and wide have come up. If you think how many mothers are out here searching.

"It's brought the community together. If you ask people where they're from, it doesn't matter."