Family of missing Fiona Sinnott hope to ‘finally bring her home' as dig starts
The search operation began in Co Wexford this morning by detectives investigating the disappearance and murder of Fiona Sinnott in 1998.
An open area of land will be searched and subject to excavation, technical and forensic examinations over the coming days.
Road closures are in place, and local diversions will be in operation while a temporary restricted air space has also been put in place by the Irish Aviation Authority.
In a statement, Fiona's family thanked the public for their support.
'In light of the Garda press release being made public we appreciate all the support you have shown our family over the years.
'Fiona's Family are within the area of the dig site and I would ask that you give us the privacy we need to process this development.
'Please keep us all, especially Fiona, in your thoughts today. Hopefully today is the day we finally get to bring her home,' the statement further pleaded.
'Please if you have any information please come forward and help us progress this further for Fiona.'
Significant enquiries have been carried out by gardaí in the Wexford/Wicklow Garda Division in what has been described as a 'sustained investigation' over the last 27 years to establish Fiona's whereabouts.
Fiona Sinnott was last seen in 1998
News in 90 Seconds - Thursday, July 31
The investigation that continues to be led by a Senior Investigating Officer has discovered and collated thousands of documents and reports, taken in more than 500 statements of evidence and retained a number of exhibits.
'Extensive searches have been carried out and six persons were arrested and detained in connection with this investigation,' a Garda spokesperson said earlier today.
Fiona, the mother of an infant daughter had been living at Ballyhitt, Broadway, Co Wexford when she went missing.
On Sunday, February 8, 1998, Fiona who was just 19, was socialising at Butler's Pub in Broadway, Co Wexford with friends. She left the pub at approximately 12 midnight and was never seen again.
'A motorist saw a male and a female on the roadway near Kisha Cross, Broadway on that night, at around midnight,' a Garda spokesperson added.
'There were two males in their late teens or early twenties in close proximity.'
Fiona Sinnott.
Gardai say none of these four people have ever come forward and they are anxious to trace them or anyone who was in the vicinity 'who did not, or could not, come forward at the time'.
'Investigating gardaí continue to appeal to any person with any information in relation to the disappearance and murder of Fiona, who has not spoken to gardaí, to please come forward and speak to our investigation team,' the Garda spokesperson said.
Meanwhile gardaí continue to appeal to any person who may have previously come forward who felt they could not provide them with all the information they had at the time to contact the investigation team again.
'An Garda Síochána appeals to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant you might believe it to be, to contact Wexford Garda Station on 053 9165200, or any Garda station,' gardai added in a statement. 'Anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
18 hours ago
- The Journal
Tánaiste says any gardaí showing 'brazen' disregard for roads policing 'letting colleagues down'
ANY GARDAÍ WHO have shown a 'brazen' disregard for roads policing are 'seriously letting their colleagues down', Tánaiste Simon Harris has said. The Fine Gael leader was responding to comments by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, about a report that found some gardaí showed a 'blatant disregard' for roads policing duties while they knew their actions were being reviewed. The Journal / YouTube It comes amid a focus on road safety in Ireland, with the Government introducing new speed laws and after the Garda Commissioner mandated that frontline gardaí dedicate 30 minutes of road policing duties per shift. Simon Harris said he did not want to 'tar any one group with one brush', and said he has the utmost respect for gardaí. 'Indeed, it's not that long since we were at a funeral of a member of An Garda Síochána killed while on road traffic policing duties,' he said at Government Buildings. 'Having said that, I am concerned with what I've heard, and I'd like to be in a position to read it. So I think it's important that what the commissioner said he intends to do does happen, that he publishes the report so that we can actually see this and analyse it directly. 'Because any member of An Garda Siochana who is acting in the way that the commissioner outlined is seriously letting their colleagues down in the first instance, colleagues who work every day to keep us safe and would absolutely be undermining our road safety efforts in this country. 'There are far too many empty seats at far too many kitchen tables in Ireland. We've worked extremely hard as a country, I don't just mean as a government, as a country, to improve road safety over many years. 'That progress had stalled in recent years and indeed we'd seen a negative trend, and this is disappointing and concerning. 'But I think it's important that we have the opportunity to see the report, rather than to comment on a comment about the report.' Advertisement Asked if he was surprised that a member of government had not seen the report, considering the policing authority had seen the report in June, he said: 'I am somewhat, but I haven't had an opportunity to discuss this with colleagues in government yet, and I'd obviously like to discuss it in the first instance with the Minister of Justice.' Sean Canney, a junior minister with responsibility for road safety, said the reported findings were 'shocking' and 'serious'. 'There's no point in us bringing in laws, reducing speed limits, doing all of this kind of thing, if we don't have a functional enforcement section within the Gardaí,' he said on RTE Radio. Canney said his thoughts were with the families of the 95 people who had died on Irish roads so far this year. He said he had not read the report from consultancy firm Crowe, which has carried out investigations on behalf of An Garda Síochána previously, but planned to meet Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan and both the outgoing and incoming Garda commissioners. 'I'll be talking to the commissioners to express my deep concern with what is in this report,' he said. He said the independent Crowe report was conducted while the reviewer was 'sitting in the car with a garda that wasn't doing his duty and didn't seem to have a problem with that'. 'So I think there is definitely a serious case to be answered here as quickly as possible.' Harris said he commissioned the examination after he received an anonymous report from a whistleblower. The chairwoman of the Policing and Community Safety Authority, Elaine Byrne, said the report was 'shocking' and found some gardaí showed a 'blatant disregard' for road policing while they knew their actions were being reviewed. 'They were openly hostile to doing their job,' she said, in what she described as a 'wake-up call' for An Garda Siochana. She also described an issue with fear among Garda managers of carrying out poor performance management, which she said Harris agreed was an issue.
Agriland
19 hours ago
- Agriland
Gardai Seek Car with Cloned Plates After Dowra Mart Burglary
Gardaí in Co. Cavan are looking for the occupants of a car which is believed to be driving on 'cloned' registration plates following a burglary at Dowra Mart in the county. The burglary occurred at around 6:20p.m on Wednesday last (July 16). Gardaí in the village of Blacklion are investigating, and are looking for four individuals who were in a blue Honda Civic hatchback. The car has a partial registration of 06-DL. This registration is understood to be cloned, an illegal offence in which the registration of one car is copied and placed on another car. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact garda stations in Blacklion or Cavan town, or the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111. The An Garda Síochána Cavan/Monaghan Facebook page posted about the incident, saying: "Gardaí in Blacklion are appealing for witnesses to a burglary at Dowra Mart, Dowra, Co. Cavan on July 16 2025 at [approximately] 6:20p.m. "Four occupants of a blue Honda Civic hatchback, partial reg 06-DL, which is believed to be on cloned plates, are being sought in connection with this incident," the post added. "Please contact Blacklion or Cavan Garda Stations with any information or the Garda confidential line [on] 1800 666 111," Gardaí said. In neighbouring Leitrim, Gardaí are investigating after 'tens of thousands' of euro worth of equipment was stolen from a farmyard, including a van, a quad trailer, a bowser power washer, and concrete tools. It is understood that the theft took place on a farmyard in the Ballinamore area of the county, not far from the border with Co. Cavan. According to information received by Agriland, the incident occurred 'in the early hours' of Tuesday (July 15) between midnight and 6:00a.m. A Renault Master van, with a registration of 161-D-1594, along with a quad trailer and several other items, were stolen.
Irish Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gardaí launch urgent search appeal for Cork teenager missing for number of days
Gardaí have launched an urgent search appeal for a Cork teenager missing for a number of days. John O'Donoghue, aged 15, is reported missing from Bandon, County Cork. John was last seen in Bandon at approximately 10.30pm on Monday, July 28. John is described as being approximately five foot five inches in height with a slim build. He has fair hair and blue eyes with a tattoo on his lower right forearm. When last seen, he was wearing a grey tracksuit and runners. A Garda spokesperson said: 'Gardaí are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 15-year-old John O'Donoghue, who is reported missing from Bandon, County Cork.' They added: 'Anyone with information on John's whereabouts is asked to contact Bandon Garda Station on 023 8852200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
