Search operation for Jo Jo Dullard in Co Wicklow expected to continue into next week

Gardai are appealing to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, to make contact.

THE SEARCH OPERATION for Jo Jo Dullard in Co Wicklow is expected to continue over the weekend and into early next week.

The search of the open ground location near the Wicklow/Kildare border is currently ongoing and a garda spokesperson remarked that investigations are also ongoing.

Gardaí have appealed to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, to contact Naas Garda Station on 045 884 300 or any Garda station.

Anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should make contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.

personnel-during-the-continued-search-near-grangecon-co-wicklow-as-part-of-a-significant-development-in-the-investigation-into-the-disappearance-of-jo-jo-dullard-almost-30-years-ago-josephine-jo-j Personnel during the search near Grangecon, Co Wicklow Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Murder investigation

In 2020, gardaí upgraded their investigation into Jo Jo’s disappearance to a murder investigation.

A renewed appeal for information was released last week to mark the 29th anniversary of her disappearance.

Earlier this week, a 55-year-old man was arrested in connection with Jo Jo’s murder of Jo Jo Dullard, but was later released without charge.

The man is believed to be one of the last people to see her alive.

Jo Jo was born in Callan, Co Kilkenny, on 25 January 1974 and was 21 years old when she went missing.

She left her home in Callan at 8.30am on Thursday 9 November 1995 to travel by bus to Dublin.

Jo Jo met friends in Bruxelles Pub on Harry Street, just off Grafton Street, and stayed with them for the afternoon.

She missed the last bus home to Kilkenny that evening and instead at 10pm boarded a bus to Naas, Co Kildare.

Jo Jo then intended to hitchhike the rest of the way home to Callan.

She hitched a lift from Naas to the slip road on the M9 motorway at Kilcullen, Co Kildare.

At around 11.15pm, Jo Jo hitched another lift to Moone, Co Kildare.

In Moone, she made a telephone call in a phone box at 11.37pm to her friend Mary Cullinan.

During that call, Jo Jo told Mary that a car had stopped for her, and she was going to take the lift.

This was the last known interaction with Jo Jo.

The following morning, Friday 10 November 1995, Jo Jo’s sister Kathleen reported her missing and gardaí launched an investigation.