GARDAÍ are carrying out searches in a Connemara townland as part of a probe into the disappearance of a young mother 30 years ago.
Barbara Walsh (33), the mother of a young family including an infant, vanished without a trace at around 4am on June 22 1985 following a party at her home in the Rusheenamanagh area of Carna in Co Galway.
She was reported missing to gardaí exactly one week after her disappearance but no trace of her has ever been found.
It is understood that hours before she vanished, Mrs Walsh and her husband, who has since passed away, had been socialising in their home with a number of people who had earlier visited a local pub.
A garda spokesman today confirmed that officers from the local division and the force’s Technical Bureau have begun conducting planned searches of buildings and lands in Rusheenamanagh.
The search operation follows the launch of a full review of the case in January as part of an ongoing review of all missing persons in the Galway Garda Division.
A senior investigating officer was appointed and an incident room was been established, leading to 112 lines of enquiry being generated and close to 60 people being interviewed as part of the review. House-to-house inquiries were conducted in the locality in June.
In August, Sinn Féin senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, who knew the Walsh family well, welcomed the renewed interest being shown by gardaí in the case.
The senator confirmed that he had been told by a senior garda that the case had never been closed and that the review was being conducted by officers from the Galway Garda Division.
Mr Ó Clochartaigh said he hoped the new probe would “shine a light” on the 30-year-old mystery surrounding Mrs Walsh’s disappearance and “bring closure” for her relatives.
Gardaí are appealing for anyone who may be able to shed light on what happened to Mrs Walsh on the night she went missing to contact them at Clifden Garda station.
