Deirdre Jacob’s family speak out exactly 25 years after she was last seen: ‘Every day is painful for us’

Deirdre’s parents Michael and Bernadette appealed for those who hold any information to come forward to piece together the case – and said they will never give up their fight for

The father of missing Deirdre Jacob has told how it’s been an “extremely painful” 25 years, saying he and his wife spot the “gap” their treasured daughter has left behind at every family occasion.

Deirdre’s parents Michael and Bernadette appealed for those who hold any information to come forward to piece together the case.
The couple were speaking at Newbridge’s town hall earlier today, coinciding with the exact time Deirdre was seen in the area a quarter of a century earlier on July 28, 1998 outside the family home.

Today Michael insisted that the family will never give up their fight for answers, but it has been a tough journey so far.

He said: “We always have a positive attitude that we will find out what happened to Deirdre and where she is. We are driven by that.
Now, that’s extremely painful and has gone on for 25 years. But in actual fact, it doesn’t have to be her anniversary that it becomes painful.

“Every day is difficult for us. Even today, as we were driving out our gateway, it crosses your mind, that’s the last spot where Deirdre was seen on the 28th of July 1998.

“And everytime we drive out, those thoughts scribe our minds.And as we’re driving up the road or going back towards the house, it comes into your mind. You’re conscious of people who spotted her on her last journey that day.”

He also says he and Bernadette are always reminded of her when there are family occasions and she’s not there. He added: “There’s been many family occasions over the past 25 years where photographs have been taken, and people have been in good form, enjoying themselves and whatever, but in among the middle of all of that we would spot the gap left behind by Deirdre not being there.

“It’s been extremely painful. It will continue to be so and our only hope is that we will find that piece of information, maybe very, very small, that will piece together everything and bring a resolution to this case.”

Deirdre, who would have been 43 today, was just 18 when she vanished. Five years ago, on the 20th anniversary of her disappearance, the investigation was upgraded to murder.

As part of the 25-year investigation, gardai have discovered and collated in excess of 5000 documents and reports, taken in excess of 300 statements of evidence and retained a number of exhibits.