Fiona Sinnott’s family are “very upset” after Gardaí concluded a search in relation to her disappearance murder, a crime journalist has revealed. 

The search of open ground took place yesterday in County Wexford, over 27 years after she disappeared. 

However, it is understood no new information has been discovered. 

Ms Sinnott was only 19 years old when she was last seen in February 1998. 

She had spent a night socialising with friends in a pub in her home village of Broadway, County Wexford. 

“Her friends were going on elsewhere, and she decided that she was going to go home,” Irish Times Crime Editor Conor Lally explained to Newstalk Breakfast. 

“Really, that was the last anyone saw of her.” 

At the time, Ms Sinnott had a baby daughter who was nearly one year old. 

“The problem was that Fiona had previously taken herself off on her own and turned up again safe and well,” Mr Lally continued.  

“So, when she went missing, at the beginning, the concern level wasn’t that high because she had done this type of thing before - or so people thought. 

“There was a 10 day delay between her being reported [as] vanished to the Gardaí.” 

The delay in informing Gardaí meant that whoever killed had plenty of time to cover up the murder. 

“They would have been able to take her remains away to conceal them and to conceal any other evidence,” Mr Lally said. 

“So, the investigation began after 10 days; it was quite extensive at the time and then the case was upgraded to a homicide inquiry in 2005. 

“Unlike some of the other cases that happened back in the 90s when women vanished, Gardaí had quite a firm suspect from the beginning and they had a scenario that they thought had unfolded that night. 

“They really investigated that and they pursued that; they arrested people, there were six people detained - including the chief suspect back in 2005. 

“There have also been various searches carried out.” 

Renewed focus in Fiona Sinnott search

Despite this, no one has ever faced charges in connection to Ms Sinnott's disappearance. 

However, in recent months Gardaí have increasingly returned to decades old cases in a fresh bid to solve them. 

“We saw searches earlier in the year in relation to the Fiona Pender case in Tullamore, County Offaly and also in the Annie McCarrick case,” Mr Lally said. 

“These are two cases that go back 30 years; so, any piece of information that was on the books, including areas of interest, any plots of land, property maybe, they are being searched. 

“So, this appears to be a case of any thread of information being exploited and being explored.” 

Following the search, Mr Lally spoke to Ms Sinnott’s family. 

“They were very hopeful in the morning and then very upset and very let down within seven or eight hours,” he said. 

“So, it’s a tough day for them and it’s really hard to know where the inquiry goes from here.” 

Appeal for information

Gardaí have said it is not too late for anyone with any information in connection to the case to come forward. 

In particular, they are keen to talk to a man and a woman who were spotted by a motorist near Kisha Cross, Broadway on the night of Ms Sinnott’s disappearance. 

They would also like to talk to two men, who were in their late teens or early 20s at the time, and were spotted that night as well.

Main image: Fiona Sinnott. Picture by: An Garda Síochána.