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RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Disappearance of Fiona Pender cast shadow over home town
On 22 August 1996 Fiona Pender and her mother Josephine headed into Tullamore. Fiona was seven months' pregnant at the time and went to town shopping for baby clothes. 25-year-old Fiona Pender and her mother were very close. Both were excited about the arrival of the baby in October. Fiona was glowing, full of hope and expectation. "I remember seeing her in Dunnes Stores just before she went missing with her mother and I remember saying hello to Fiona, and hello to Mrs Pender," recalled Olive Davis, a local woman who knew the Pender family. Fiona later returned to the flat she was sharing with her partner on Church Street in the town. The following morning her partner left for work on his family farm and that is the last time Fiona Pender was ever seen. Fiona grew up in Connolly Park in Tullamore, not far from the Grand Canal, with her parents and brothers. Her brother Mark died in a motorbike accident in June 1995. She left school after completing her Inter Cert and trained as a hairdresser and had worked in Clarke's unisex salon in Tullamore. She also worked part-time as a model. Fiona had been living with her partner in the UK but had moved home shortly before her disappearance. She was outgoing, friendly and had a real flair for fashion, friends said. "Fiona was beautiful. She really stood out when you saw her coming down the street and she was so outgoing, bubbly, and full of chat," remarked one local woman. In the days after her disappearance gardaí launched a major operation with searches and public appeals for information. Gardaí suspected from early on in this investigation that Fiona Pender had come to serious harm. "It was a shock. She was seven months' pregnant. There was a real sadness over the town and everywhere," said Olive Davis. Disappearing was totally out of character for Fiona Pender. She was very happy to be pregnant and excited about becoming a mother. Yet since around 6am on 23 August 1996, when her partner said he last saw her, there hasn't been a sighting of Fiona Pender. Her disappearance has weighed heavily on the Pender family and the wider community in Tullamore and Offaly. Every week since Fiona's disappearance her name has appeared in the parish bulletin in Tullamore as prayers are offered for her. "I hope they find her for her brother. I know the poor Mum, she died a few years ago and it [Fiona's disappearance] devastated her. The family need closure and for the town, I just think we need it, it's very sad, sad for everybody, everybody involved," said Olive Davis. In 2008, as a reporter with Newstalk, I sat in the sitting room of Josephine Pender's home as a search took place in Monicknew in the Slieve Bloom mountains. It followed the discovery of a cross with the words "Fiona Pender. Buried here, August 22nd, 1996" written on it. The remains of the 25-year-old were not found there. I remember ringing Josephine that morning and asking her to do an interview. She had just finished speaking to my now colleague Fran McNulty and invited me inside. She never refused an interview. Her belief being that the more she talked about Fiona, the greater chance she might have in finding her. She couldn't hide the pain; it was etched on her face. In the space of 14 months she had lost two children, Mark in a motorbike accident and Fiona, missing presumed murdered. Her husband Sean died by suicide in 2000, the pain of losing his children was too much to bear, Josephine said. Sitting with Josephine for half an hour that day gave me a glimpse into the heavy heartbreak she was carrying. She wasn't in great health at the time, yet she vowed never to give up the fight for Fiona. And she didn't. Even in the weeks before her death, she made a final appeal for information, saying that she wasn't into punishment and just wanted to give Fiona and her unborn child back a bit of dignity and lay them to rest. Mrs Pender said she thought of her daughter's unborn baby a lot saying that it was terrible to think that someone could harm them and she said she would beg for anyone with information to come forward. In September 2017, Josephine Pender died having never discovered the fate of her only daughter and her unborn grandchild. In the almost 29 years since Fiona Pender went missing, gardaí have carried out several searches at locations in Laois and Offaly. Most notably in 1997, five arrests were made including the chief suspect. More than 300 statements have been taken, and thousands of documents have been gathered however without enough evidence, gardaí have never been able to charge anyone in connection with Fiona Pender's disappearance and murder. The main suspect is understood to have emigrated, and the Director of Public Prosecutions will need a strong case if there is to be an extradition and a person cannot be extradited solely for the purposes of questioning them. While these searches have ended, there appears to be a renewed intensity around the investigation this week. Gardaí have always said their primary objective is recovering Fiona. While they have not indicated what has led them to this week's searches near Clonaslee in Co Laois and near Killeigh in Co Offaly, it is understood that they have information that is being assessed and looked at. It is understood the searches were focused on finding evidence and not the remains of Fiona Pender. Gardaí are still appealing for information. They believe there is information in the local community in Tullamore and in the surrounding areas and are asking people who have information, but who didn't feel they were able to give that information in the past, to come forward. Almost 29 years on and Fiona Pender hasn't been forgotten. There is a memorial on the Grand Canal, not far from where she grew up, which was designed by her brother John. The inscription reads: "A mother holds her child's hand for only a few moments in time, but she holds them in her heart forever." Fiona Pender's disappearance and murder has cast a shadow on the town of Tullamore and surrounding areas. Until her remains are found and she can be finally laid to rest, the pain and heartbreak for those who knew and loved her, lives on.
The Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Frances Black '98%' certain she will not contest this year's presidential election
SENATOR FRANCES BLACK has said that she is 98% sure that she will not be going forward with a presidential run following speculation. Earlier this year, Black told The Late Late Show that she was 'open to the conversation' of a potential run, though she cautioned that she was not 'actively seeking' a nomination for the office. Today, she told Anton Savage on Newstalk that she was approached by a number of the smaller parties within Leinster House some months ago, who asked if she would be interested in putting her name forward. She said she was open to the conversation, Black said today. 'And after that, nothing has happened. I haven't heard anymore. There's been no discussions,' she said. Advertisement 'It's not something I'm seeking. It's not something I'm actively looking for. I've seen how other campaigns have been run, and they have been, I could only describe blood baths. So it's not something that I would want to be honest with you.' Last month, Dana Rosemary Scallan spoke out about her experience contesting the presidential election for the second time in 2011. Describing her campaign as a 'truly terrible time', she grew emotional throughout her interview and said it still felt like a 'well of grief'. Black said that on the beginning she had felt it a 'privilege' to be considered, but as rumours took off, 'it was overwhelming'. 'It's very late in the day,' she said. She added that her focus remains on the Occupied Territories Bill, which she said she would love to have signed into law by incumbent President Michael D Higgins, who will end his second and final term in November. Asked about the 2% of uncertainty on her potential contesting of the presidency, Black replied: 'I suppose there's a part of me that feels, if I'm the right person – I'm not sure I am – but if I am the right person, then that's the 2%. And I do feel I have a responsibility to consider it. That's really what it is. That's all it is.' There is no front runner for the presidency at present. A number of people have ruled themselves out of the race, including Heather Humphreys and Michael McDowell. A candidate still understood to be vying for an Áras bid is Luke 'Ming' Flanagan. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Dublin Live
3 days ago
- General
- Dublin Live
Night-time welfare zone to be launched in Dublin city centre
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A permanent welfare zone designed to help people on nights out in Dublin city is expected to launch in the coming weeks. The scheme was piloted over the Christmas period to help those who required assistance while out socialising in the city. The new "Help Zone" hub is expected to launch at the end of next month. A mobile help vehicle will be stationed around various busy locations in the city centre, offering medical care, welfare services, and general support to those in need during high-risk hours. The service operates with a dedicated team including medics, security officers, welfare officers, and a site operator. Speaking on Newstalk, Dublin's night-time economy advisor, Ray O'Donoghue, said: "Hopefully that will be up and running again in the next couple of weeks." "It should hopefully deter anti-social behaviour and just give people somewhere to go as opposed to A&E or the Garda station and so on," he added. The initiative was piloted by Dublin City Council and supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Newstalk host Ciara Kelly says she 'regrets' not taking husband's surname after marrying
'I do think that if my husband had had a cooler name, I might have been slightly more tempted.' Newstalk host Ciara Kelly has said she 'regrets' not taking her husband's surname after they got married. 'I do have some regrets about having no name connection to my children,' she explained on this morning's breakfast show. 'Should they have been double-barrelled? I don't know. 'Or should I have given them Kelly as their second name? I don't know is the answer to that,' she continued. Ciara Kelly. Photo: Evan Doherty News in 90 Seconds - May 29th Kelly said if her husband had a 'cooler name' she 'might have been slightly more tempted.' 'I think there is fashion at play here; when I was young and getting married, none of my pals in college took their husbands' names. 'Most of my pals from school who didn't go to college did. 'So, there was different cohorts of people doing different things, and I think that's still true today,' she said. 'I also do think, as someone who didn't take their husband's name and I now have a different name to all four of my children, that I didn't give it enough thought. 'I didn't want to double barrel my name, I always thought that was for gits - that's what I actually thought.' Her co-host Shane Coleman said he would have been 'a little bit disappointed' if his wife had taken his surname. 'I married Ev Conroy, I didn't marry Ev Coleman,' he said. 'We get texts from people saying, 'Oh, it's really difficult travelling', it isn't. 'Or that it's 'really confusing in school', I think people are capable of differentiating. 'There's no issue.' Read more Man (20s) charged after Garda seriously injured by stolen motorbike in Finglas It comes following the publication of an Irish Times opinion piece lamenting whether or not women should change their surname after getting married. According to Pew Research Centre, 79% of women in opposite sex marriages took their husbands' surname after they wed. While just 5% of men in opposite sex marriages took their wives' surname.
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Health
- Sunday World
Irish academic says ‘medical advice' to get 10k steps per day is a 'gimmick'
Professor Niall Moyna has said that the mantra began as a marketing ploy An Irish academic has said that the 'medical advice' to get 10,000 steps per day is a 'gimmick', not based on science. Niall Moyna, a professor of clinical exercise physiology at DCU told The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk that it began as a marketing ploy. 'Back 60-years ago, a Japanese company at the time of the Tokyo Olympic Games came up with the first wearable step counter. 'The name that they used for the counter meant '10,000 step metre', that's when it came into popular culture and has been there for 60-years with no empirical evidence to back it up,' he said. (Getty Images) News in 90 Seconds - May 28th Professor Moyna said that it has gained popularity in recent years because smartphones make it very easy to track how many steps you take. 'If you do nothing on a daily basis, you sit around at home, you're ambulating, going to the bathroom, making a cup of tea, nothing else, you would take around 1,500 to 2,000 steps a day,' he said. 'So, we tend to use 2,000 as a reference and anything above that, you're going to get a health benefit. 'Basically, if you take an extra 517 steps beyond that 2,000, you actually get an 8% reduction in the risk of dying from mortal causes. 'Then the sweet zone, what's the optimum dose that we would need to get, what's the maximum risk reduction with the least effort, it's extra, around 6,700 steps. 'That's around 8,000 steps per day, and you're getting a 60% reduction in dying from all causes.' 'It doesn't matter what the disease is, whether it's cardiovascular, dementia, diabetes. 'It seems to be the same effect - do something and you get enormous benefits, but if you go beyond a certain number, you don't get anywhere near the same benefit.' He said people will have health benefits if they take between 2,000 and 5,000 steps per day. 'I would advise to anyone out there to take 5,000 to 6,000 steps per day, most days of the week, you're going to get most of the benefits you can gain from walking.' 'Everything beyond that, that's a bonus.' Monya added that there is evidence to suggest that as you get older, you need to take fewer steps.
