Gardaí renew appeal for missing Cork couple on 35th anniversary of disappearance

Ellen O'Donoghue

Gardaí are continuing to investigate the disappearance of a couple from Fermoy in Co Cork.

Conor and Sheila Dwyer were last seen on April 30th 1991.

The couple were last seen leaving St. Patrick's Church near their home on Chapel Hill in Fermoy.

The following day, Sheila's sister spoke with her by phone, and on May 19th, Sheila's birthday, her sister tried to call her, but there was no reply.

Soon after, her sisters went to the house and found it empty.

The sisters reported the couple missing a few days later, on May 22nd.

When Gardaí attended at the couple’s home, they found both their passports along with around £1,000 in cash, which gardaí described as a "substantial sum of money for the time".

Some clothes were missing, but not much, and nothing was disturbed in the house or appeared out of the ordinary.

Conor's white Toyota Cressida was never found and never recorded leaving the country.

Conor was 62 years old at the time of the disappearance, and Sheila had just turned 60 in May 1991.

Sheila was a housewife, described as a quiet person who was in good health.

Both were described as keeping to themselves, but were well known locally, where Conor worked as a caretaker and former taxi driver.

Lines of enquiry have been followed up by gardaí in numerous different areas, leading gardaí abroad as well as in Ireland.

The River Blackwater has been searched on numerous occasions by the Garda Water Unit.

Detective inspector Anna-Marie Guiney said that the investigation remains active and ongoing.

"Gardaí will exhaust every option available. We would like to once again appeal to members of the public who may have any information to contact us," Guiney said.

Gardaí can be contacted at Fermoy Garda Station on 025 82100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.