Twelfth annual Missing Persons Day to be held at Croke Park today

The twelfth annual National Missing Persons Day will take place today, 4 December, at Croke Park.

Missing Persons Day, hosted by the Department of Justice, is an annual commemorative day for families and friends to remember their missing loved ones. Missing Persons Day also provides a nationwide platform to appeal to the public for information on missing persons.

To mark the event a commemorative ceremony will be held featuring spoken contributions from family members of missing persons as well as speeches from the Minister Helen McEntee TD, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and other contributors who work to resolve missing persons cases.

Missing Persons Day is an all-island event and families from Northern Ireland will also be welcomed along with their support organisations.

Earlier this week, President Higgins lit a candle at Áras an Uachtaráin to remember those who are missing.

Minister McEntee said:

“Missing Persons Day gives families and friends of missing people the opportunity to come together and commemorate their loved ones. It also highlights missing persons cases at a national level. By drawing focus to those who are missing we might refresh someone’s memory or inspire them to come forward with information they may have.

“I want to urge anyone who may have information, however small they feel it may be, to come forward and share this with An Garda Síochána. Any piece of information could prove crucial in solving a missing persons case.

“I want to thank all of the contributors to today’s ceremony, and all those who have supported Missing Persons Day since its inception. My special thanks goes to the families of missing people who are speaking at the ceremony this year.”

This year’s Missing Person’s Day also marks the launch of an enhanced, searchable database of Unidentified Human Remains (UHR) reported to the Department by Coroners around the country.

Welcoming the launch of the searchable database, Minister McEntee said:

“My Department published the first ever UHR database in May 2023 and has sought consistently since then to enhance the quality of information provided, as well as ensuring that the database is user friendly and simple to navigate.

“Earlier this year, visual records including facial images and visuals of items found with remains were included in the dataset, where provided by coroners.

“This latest development allows users to search the data by coroner district, year and gender, further facilitating the identification and location of missing persons and the possibility of closure for their loved ones.”

This year’s ceremony, as with previous years, will be streamed live across the Department of Justice website and social media channels.

Minister of State James Browne TD said:

“National Missing Persons Day is one of the most important days in the Department of Justice Calendar. It is the day when those who are missing someone dear to them can come together, share their experience, and draw strength from each other."

“I want to thank all of those who contribute to Missing Persons Day and commit so much of their time to make it possible each year. I am especially grateful to the family members of missing people who courageously share their stories.”

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said:

“Each National Missing Persons Day is significant because it provides an opportunity to shine a light on those who are missing. It gives us pause to remember those who are lost, and whose absence is deeply felt by all those who love them.

"It is also a day where families can talk about their loved ones, and how dearly they are missed. In sharing these stories, we are reminded of who is missing and what they mean to their communities, families, and friends. This is why An Garda Síochána will do all it can to find out what happened and bring those who are missing home.

"And so, I encourage anyone with information about any missing person to please contact us. Any piece of information could help provide answers for families. You can do so by contacting any Garda Station or by calling the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111”.

NOTES

On 4 December 2013, Ireland held its inaugural national Missing Persons Day with a commemorative ceremony which took place at Farmleigh House, Dublin. The inaugural ceremony was attended by the families and friends of missing persons, as well as many of the organisations working in the community on their behalf. The ceremony incorporated musical and personal tributes and reflections, followed by a tree planting ceremony in the grounds of Farmleigh House.

Missing Persons Day complements the existing International Missing Children’s Day and has a number of objectives. It commemorates those who have gone missing and recognises the lasting trauma for their families and friends. It also draws attention to open or unsolved missing persons cases, and creates an opportunity to provide information on available support services.

National Missing Persons Day has been developed into an annual campaign in partnership with a number of organisations.

Coroners have provided information for Unidentified remains lying within their districts, and the number of cases published has risen from 44 to 48.

The Unidentified Human Remains Forum, comprising officials from the Department, members of An Garda Síochána, Forensic Science Ireland, the State Pathologist, and the Coroner Service, has committed to developing an effective database with the capacity to evolve as new information becomes available.

The newly-published, searchable Unidentified Human Remains database can be found here: https://www.gov.ie/en/coroner-cases/?referrer=https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/ae2ea-unidentified-human-remains/