Bernadette Connolly disappeared a month ago.
The daughter of missing woman Bernadette Connolly has issued an emotional appeal to the public a month after her mother’s disappearance.
Bernadette’s daughter Jade appeared on The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk on Friday (4 February) and provided an update on the ongoing search for her mother.
Bernadette, 45, has been described as being five foot six inches in height with a slim build, hazel eyes and long black hair.
On 7 January, she took a taxi from Swords to Donabate and was spotted on CCTV walking towards the entrance to Donabate Beach at 11.56am.
At the time Bernadette went missing, she was wearing a black Nike training top, black Nike leggings, black trainers with a white sole and a black woolly hat with black bobble.
The bag she had with her and her coat were found later, with her phone contained in her coat pocket.
On her phone, a photo was discovered to have been taken at 12.38pm featuring the Malahide Grand Hotel in view.
Jade told Pat Kenny that the latest update in the investigation is that a house near the Malahide Beach car park captured images of Bernadette at 12.46pm.
She also said Donabate would not usually be a place her mum would go.
“We would be very used to going to Malahide, Portmarnock and Howth… That’s not to say that she’s never been there before, but just not with me,” Jade said.
“She did say to the taxi man that she was meeting a friend. That’s what he has mentioned when he gave his statement to the Gardaí.
“Her belongings were found up high so they weren’t like right near the water or anything. They were up high nearer the dunes.
“She wasn’t a swimmer but paddling her feet would be a common thing with my mam.
“I have mentioned before that there was a cerise pink towel found close to where the coat and the bag was.
“Now we can’t be sure if that is my mam’s towel but obviously, it’s something that we’re being open-minded about.”
Jade told the programme that Bernadette was in “good form” the day she went missing, describing her as “a loyal, kind, caring, independent person.”
She added that nobody could have imagined something like this happening and that it is a “total shock”.
“There’s so many different questions that we need answered,” Jade said.
“Where is she? Is she on land? Is she in the water? We’re open-minded about the whole thing… some items have been found but we’ve no evidence to suggest that she’s in the sea either.
“You’re trying to be optimistic, but also I’m not in denial about a situation either.
“But until I have her, I can’t give up. I can’t sit back and not do anything.
“For me, not knowing would be the worst. If you did know, you could try and learn to grieve and have her back and give her what she deserves.
“For all I know, she could have went off with a friend, that this friend knows that all this is going on, that she’s missing.
“Was it a tragic accident? That the waves got too strong and pulled her in when she was paddling her feet? There’s so many different things to think about. All I know is that I need to keep going with this.”
Jade said that her family has people flying drones over land and going out on boats up along the coasts as part of efforts to find her.
This is along with a poster campaign and leaflets being sent out to residents in Malahide.
Meanwhile, Jade also issued another public appeal ahead of the weekend.
“[We’re] still trying to appeal to people along the coast as well when they’re on their walks this weekend, will they please just keep their eyes peeled going right up to Skerries and Bettystown, all the way up to Drogheda,” she said.
“Please just keep [Bernadette] in mind.”
Gardaí continue to appeal to anyone with any information on Bernadette’s whereabouts to speak in person with Gardaí.
Alternatively, people can contact Swords Garda Station 01 666 4700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
