Family of missing Wicklow man issue plea as new information arises

Irish Independent

15-07-2025

The last confirmed sighting of Gerard was in fact Monday, June 23, and not Friday, June 20, as was initially reported.
His brother, Neil, has confirmed that when Gerard was reported missing, the family were trying to work off an approximation with the gardaí. But upon reviewing CCTV footage, the last sighting was confirmed as Monday, June 23, at 02:33am.
"He was last seen at Bray seafront walking down towards the promenade and turning left towards the harbour area. That was on the Monday at 2:33am,' Neil said.
Regarding Gerard's movements at the time, Neil said it was 'not a totally unusual time for him to be out walking'.
"This was during the heatwave too – you know, one of those very humid days, probably not as bad as now, but for him to be out at that time's not too uncommon to go for a walk,' he explained.
Gerard is described as being 'roughly five foot ten, very slim build, brown hair and hazel green eyes'.
Neil added that 'what he was wearing and what we've seen on the camera too, was very dark clothing – so a dark hoodie, dark chinos and a pair of Vans which would have had white soles'.
'From the footage that we've seen, he's just walking as casually as you would like,' Neil continued.
"There was nothing out of the ordinary. Gerard was something of a night owl, so early morning walks weren't entirely out of character for him – especially during that humid heat. I'll be talking to Gerard on average maybe two three times a week. And that phone call – because I'll be out walking the dog early am – could be half-three in the morning.
'From an outside perspective people see it and go: 'That's very unusual'. But for Gerard, that would be relatively common, especially when combined with the fact that there was a heatwave, and the humidity, because that's where he lived, down near the Dart station.'
Neil said that his brother is 'very well known' in the community, and has 'a very big family, as in cousins, a lot of friends, and definitely around Bray he would be very well known'.
'The one thing which has been overwhelming for the whole family is the support of the community,' he said.
'People who knew Gerard did reach out to me. So we've had friends who knew Gerard reach out to me non-stop, worrying and expressing concern about him. So from his own friends and just from the community of Bray the support has genuinely been overwhelming. Our family is close-knit and devastated, with relatives from near and far supporting the search,' he added.
Neil explained that for his brother not to have contacted anyone is 'totally out of the ordinary'.
"Has Gerard ever once gone off and not being contactable? Absolutely not. We're a very close family. And so for him to go missing, for him to not have contact for an extended duration of time would be totally out of the ordinary. We reported him missing on June 28 after not being able to contact him or locate him, and CCTV confirmed the June 23 at 02:33am sighting.
'I'm not naive to the situation we're in, but Gerard didn't show signs of this behaviour before, and this is completely out of character. As a family, we're holding onto hope and urging anyone with information to come forward.
"I want to extend a massive thanks to the gardai, community volunteers and the civil defence. They've been out searching around Bray Head, all around Bray and other areas too and a lot of people have joined in the search. The support has been a lifeline, keeping us going through this nightmare,' Neil said.
The family are appealing in particular to business owners and residents who have CCTV cameras trained on Bray seafront, particularly in light of new information that Gerard was seen heading towards the Bray harbour area.
'The gardaí are leading the investigation and Gerard was last seen at the seafront, and Bray seafront is probably the busiest area in Bray,' Neil said.
"There's a lot of cameras, and one of the big hopes is that all of the footage is obviously checked urgently and none's overridden. And if anyone thinks that they've seen something or heard anything please come forward and go to the local garda station.
'The search is still ongoing at the moment, with the confirmation that Gerard was going down the promenade and turning left towards the harbour area, that's where the focus is. And the next piece is to paint a full picture of the situation from all the different CCTV cameras down there – whether it be public or private.
"People who would have been walking out at that time, too, they may have seen something, or anything, and we're just hoping that they come forward. Even the smallest detail could bring Gerard home safely – our family is devastated and clinging to hope. Please share this appeal widely to help us find him.'
Anyone with information can contact Bray Garda Station at 01-6665300 or the Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.