CONAL OWENS - Aged 18 years - Naas, Kildare (Ireland)

Conal Owens disappeared on New Year's Night after getting separated from friends on a Wexford beach.

RTE News

4 January 2009

Search for Missing Teenager scaled down

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0104/owensc.html

Belfast Telegraph

4 January 2009

1,000 search for missing teen in Co. Wexford

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/1000-search-for-missing-teen-in-co-wexford-14128588.html

Irish Independent

5 January 2009

Hope fading fast as massive search fails to find missing teen

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/hope-fading-fast-as-massive-search-fails-to-find-missing-teen-1592113.html

Evening Herald Ireland

5 January 2009

Conal's phone now focus of search for teen

http://www.herald.ie/national-news/conalrsquos-phone-now-focus-of-search-for-teen-1592479.html

Irish Times

5 January 2009

Search for Missing Teenager in Wexford called off

* For the night that is, it is called off.

(snippet)

STEVEN CARROLL, in Curracloe
The search for missing teenager Conal Owens was called off this afternoon with no trace of him around Curracloe beach in Co Wexford.

Mr Owens was last seen on the beach in the early hours of New Year’s Day, five days ago.

Around 1,000 people took part in a massive search operation over the weekend, including the Coast Guard, Civil Defence, Garda Specialist Units, and Order of Malta. Volunteers from Naas Rugby Club also joined the search today. Today's search concentrated on dunes between the Winning Post arcade and the Raven Wood.

GardaÍ are meeting tonight to decide if the search for the teenager will continue.

The 18-year-old, from Kilteel close to Naas, got separated from friends on the popular coastal line, famed for its appearance in the Hollywood film Saving Private Ryan .

Gardaí renewed their appeal for anyone with information to come forward and said they do not suspect foul play at this stage.

He is described as 170cm (5ft 7in), with brown hair cut short and is of stocky build.

When last seen he was wearing blue jeans and a distinctive red hooded sweatshirt with the words “C — UNIT” printed in white across the chest.

His eldest sister Jessica (20) said today they family was overwhelmed by the response of members of the public who had helped in the search and added they were still hopeful of Conal’s safe return.

His parents, Linda and Tony Ownes, also attended the search operation today.

Gardaí have asked anyone with information contact Wexford Garda Station, the Garda Confidential Line (1800 666111) or any Garda station.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0105/breaking4.htm

Search enters 6th day. I feel news will come now very soon. It's been one very tough week for family & friends.

Irish Times

7 January 2009


Naval divers join search for teenager

The search for missing teenager Conal Owens will continue to focus on the most hazardous areas of the Curracloe, Co Wexford, landscape as it enters its seventh day today. Naval divers yesterday joined the search for the 18-year-old from Kilteel, Co Kildare, who went missing near Curracloe beach late on New Year's Eve. The divers yesterday searched channels in the area, which can be up to 10ft deep in places.

Up to 35 friends had travelled to Curracloe to ring in the new year at a holiday home owned by the family of one of Conal's friends. After they had gathered on the beach, Conal became separated from them.

Leinster Leader

7 January 2009

Conal's Owens' mother thanks locals for help with hunt for missing teenager

http://www.leinsterleader.ie/news/Conal39s-Owens39-mother-thanks-locals.4850613.jp

Wexfordpeople.ie

7 January 2009

No sign of Missing Teenager



CURRACLOE has been the focus of one of the largest search operations Co. Wexford has seen during the past week as the emergency services and hundreds of volunteers looked for missing teenager Conal Owens.

Normally the quietest time of the year for the seaside village, the disappearance of the 18-year-old from Kilteel, Co. Kildare, has instead seen it become the focus for a large-scale and intensive search operation.

The search had been first co-ordinated from Hotel Curracloe by local Gardaí, but on Sunday morning moved to the grounds of Curracloe United AFC, where locals helped providing food and hot drinks for the huge search party.

The pitch was also used as a landing area for the Garda and Coastguard helicopters, part of the massive search operation which has also involved the Civil Defence, Order of Malta, RNLI, Navy divers, the Search and Rescue Dog Association of Ireland and Mountain Rescue teams among others.

Hundreds of volunteers have also been involved in the search, with huge numbers travelling from Co. Kildare and great support also shown the local community.

Local priest Fr. James Fitzpatrick said there was 'something in excess of 1,000 people' in Curracloe on Sunday volunteering to help with the search.

Fr. Fitzpatrick said there are 'huge numbers' of people from Kildare and Dublin, as well as from rugby clubs throughout Co. Wexford and the rest of the country, as Conal is a member of Naas RFC.

Fr. Fitzpatrick said the response from people in Curracloe and the surrounding areas has been huge.

'People have been tremendous in their effort and those who can't go out searching are helping out in any way they can, making and serving food for those searching,' said Fr. Fitzpatrick.

'There has been a huge amount of people around helping with the search,' said J.P. Hanrahan, Manager of Hotel Curracloe, which has served as the focal point for the search operation for much of the past week.Mr. Hanrahan said many people from Naas and elsewhere in Co. Kildare have been travelling down to Curracloe by car and bus, while Conal's family are among a number of those staying in the area, at the hotel and in local B&Bs.

http://www.wexfordpeople.ie/news/no-sign-of-missing-teenager-1595411.html

Saturday January 10 2009

Independent.ie

A short update at the bottem of this article!
Garda hailed as hero in sea rescue

Farms searched in missing teen hunt

The search for missing teenager Conal Owens intensified yesterday in Co Wexford as gardai called on local farmers and caravan park owners to check their land for the youth.

Conal (18 ), from Naas, Co Kildare, was last seen at 11pm on New Year's Eve, as he left the house he was staying in with friends, to walk to the beach at Curracloe. He told his friends to go on ahead while he went to the toilet.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/garda-hailed-as-hero-in-sea-rescue-1597822.html

Still no sign of Conal Owens. It is quite amazing at this stage and huge agony for family. Thinking about them.

Irish Independent

26 January 2009

Mum fills out College Form in hope missing son is still alive

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/mum-fills-out-college-form-in-hope-missing-son-is-still-alive-1614465.html

Irish Times

Thursday, January 29, 2009

In short

Body found in Wexford marshland

A BODY, matching the description of a man missing for over a month, was found in a marshland area in Co Wexford yesterday by a man walking by the water.

Gardaí were last night trying to establish if the body was that of a 20-year-old man from Wexford town who has not been seen since late on the night of December 17th. Yesterday at 4 pm an elderly man spotted a body floating in the water near Wexford wildfowl reserve.

Another man, 18-year-old Conal Owens from Dublin, went missing on New Year’s Eve. Investigations into his disappearance are continuing.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0129/1232923372861.html

Pam, I don't think we have the 20 year old missing person in our forum. But the body does not appear to be Conal Owens.

Thanks Merly. Yes it appears this is a local man, where the news of him being missing remained local. Very sad.

PLEASE BE WARNED TRAGIC ENDING

Irish Times

Body of Missing Teenager found in Wexford

The body of a missing teenager has been found by a sea wall on the Co Wexford coast.

Conal Owens (18) from Kilteel, Co Kildare, had been missing since New Year’s Eve.

He had left a holiday house where he was staying with friends to walk to the beach at Curacloe at 11.00pm.

Hundreds of volunteers scoured the area where he was last seen in the weeks following his disappearance but failed to find any trace of him.

His body was spotted this afternoon by a man out walking in the North Slob area, a few kilometres from Wexford town. It was later recovered by Wexford RNLI lifeboat

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0205/breaking83.htm

RIP Conal. Thinking of your family.

God bless and RIP. Prayers for all the family and friends who will miss this young person so much.

RTE News

6 February 2009 19:59

Effort to identify body found in Wexford

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0206/owensc.html

Gorey Guardian

Wednesday February 18 2009

By Conor CULLEN

Owens family thank people of Wexford

TRAGIC TEEN'S BODY WAS FOUND AFTER FIVE WEEK SEARCH

(snippet)

Conal was finally laid to rest on Monday of last week after his body had been recovered in Wexford Harbour, the previous Thursday, February 5.

He had not been seen since he went missing close to Curracloe beach late on New Year's Eve after he became separated from his friends while walking towards the beach.

In the days and weeks following his disappearance the community of Curracloe and people from all across Co. Wexford showed great support to the family and were also among the hundreds of willing volunteers who searched for Conal.

http://www.goreyguardian.ie/news/owens-family-thank-people-of-wexford-1647669.html

RIP CONAL

We held you in our thoughts and prayers.

May you now be at peace.