A KERRY councillor has issued a new “contact the Gardai immediately” appeal as the search for missing Michael Gaine hits the one week mark.
The farmer, 56, was last seen buying phone credit in the Centra in Kenmare town shortly before 10am on March 20.
A major search operation was launched on Friday after the popular local man was reported missing from his home outside Kenmare.
However, after a week of searching gardai have still not located the missing man.
Checkpoints were in place across Kenmare yesterday as gardai attempted to jog the memories of locals.
Now, local Kenmare councillor Dan McCarthy, who is a close friend of Mike, has made a new appeal to people who were in the area on March 20.
He told The Irish Sun: “If anyone passed the road Mike’s farmyard is on last Thursday after 10am and saw anything unusual happening in the farmyard, because it is beside the road, to please contact the gardai immediately.
“No matter how small or how minuscule it could be, ring to tell the gardai what they saw.”
Dan has told today how “doom and gloom” remains over the town over a week after he was last seen, as the community rallies around Michael’s family,
He told us: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and his sisters at this point and their extended family.
“The community support is absolutely overwhelming. The amount of goodwill that’s there to try to find him in the community that have rallied together. It’s something like this that brings a community together.
“Unbelievable what the last week has seen here and the amount of people that have volunteered to help and the businesses, their support with food and things here to the mart to feed the volunteers that are working on the case is unbelievable.
“I think it’s a credit to the people in the community but knowing Mike, Mike would have done the same thing for anyone else.”
The Garda Sub Aqua Unit arrived on Wednesday to search a number of water locations around Kenmare, Moll’s Gap and the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks.
A disused quarry just a few kilometres from Michael’s home was also probed.
Hundreds of volunteers helped with land searches across the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks near Michael’s home.
Slurry tanks on his farm have been emptied and searched and land on the grounds excavated.
The farm remains sealed off and Gardai were this week examining Michael’s car and car keys as part of their investigation.
It is understood he left Kenmare town in the bronze coloured RAV4, which was found parked on his farmyard.
And the Sunday world reports personal belongings such as Michael’s phone and wallet were discovered in the vehicle.
‘NO ANSWERS’
Despite extensive searches over the past week, close pal Dan has told how no “light” has been shed on what Gardai have described as “an unusual missing person’s case”.
He explained how there have been no updates on Michael’s whereabouts or breakthroughs in the searches of the close-knit Kerry town.
Dan told us: “They’ve no lead, they’ve no guide, they’ve no nothing.
“It’s absolutely unbelievable that there’s no sign, light or anything on what has happened, no answers.”
FRESH GARDA APPEAL
Gardai have issued yet another information appeal as they continue to search for the sheep and cow farmer.
Superintendent David O’Callaghan of Tralee Garda Station, who is leading the investigation, said Gardai want to speak to anyone who travelled on the road between Kenmare and Moll’s Gap on the Ring of Kerry last Thursday, in particular those who have dash cam or phone footage.
Superintendent O’Callaghan said: “Michael, who also goes by Mike, was last seen in Kenmare town, on this day last week, Thursday, March 20.
“Michael bought phone credit in the Centra in Kenmare at 9.48am. Michael then left in his bronze coloured RAV4 registration 152 KY 366.
“This vehicle was found parked in his farmyard, just off the N71 at Carrig East. It is now one week since the last sighting of Michael Gaine.
‘NO CONTACT’
“Michael’s family have had no contact from him and his family and Gardai are extremely concerned for his well-being.
“Michael is described as being approximately 5ft 10ins tall with a stocky build, brown/grey hair and a bushy beard. When last seen, Michael was wearing an orange woolly hat, black fleece, blue jeans and black boots.
“Searches have been carried out at Michael’s farmyard and in the immediate vicinity. An Garda Siochana continues to work with and is fully supported by other state and voluntary agencies in our ongoing efforts to locate Michael.”
Gardai confirmed they are not requesting the public to assist them with land searches again at this time.
