THE IDENTICAL TWIN sister of Mary Boyle, who went missing 46 years ago today, has issued a renewed appeal for anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forward.
Mary was just six years old when she vanished while visiting her grandparents in Cashelard, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal on 18 March 1977. She has never been found since.
She was last seen by her uncle that afternoon as turned back towards her grandparent’s home just over halfway on the journey to the neighbour’s house.
Her disappearance is Ireland’s longest-running missing person case.
Speaking today to RTÉ’s Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin, Mary’s twin sister Ann Doherty said that she had asked gardaí to conduct new searches for Mary.
“We’ve asked the guards for a few different searches and they haven’t materialised,” she said.
Doherty has previously said she believes Mary was murdered.
Speaking today she said she believed that Mary died on the day she went missing, and that her body was likely buried near to where she disappeared.
Doherty said that the disappearance had been very hard on all of the Boyle family, including her mother, and that all they wanted was “closure”.
“It’s been very, very hard on her. Losing her child. It’s been very hard on her,” she said.
She appealed for anyone with information and said it’s “not about going after anyone” but about bringing closure and giving their sister a “dignified burial”.
“It is not about justice, it is about getting Mary buried,” Doherty said.
Even if someone came anonymously and said she’s there… I want to put an end to it so that everyone can have a peaceful life.
She appealed for anyone with information to come forward anonymously.
In a statement to RTÉ, gardaí said the investigation is ongoing under the direction of a senior investigating officer in Ballyshannon and a serious crime review was completed in 2017.
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