Gardaí renew dashcam footage appeal in search for missing farmer Michael Gaine

Gardaí made a fresh appeal for information this morning, saying that they are not requesting the assistance of the general public for further searches at this time. 

However, Superintendent Dave Callaghan said gardaí continue to want to speak to anybody who travelled on the N71 in and around Kenmare and the Moll’s Gap area last Thursday and Friday and who may have any dashcam footage.

Mr Gaine is described as being approximately 5'10" with a stocky build, brown grey hair and a bushy beard. He was last seen wearing an orange woolly hat, black fleece, blue jeans and black boots.

He has not been seen since March 20, after he bought phone credit at the local Centra at 9.48am. An image of him in the shop via an in-store CCTV camera was later released by gardaí.

He also bought a roll for his lunch at the shop, where he shopped almost every day.

"He was his usual chatty self," someone who met him that day said. "His last words after he paid were 'see you later'."

Around 200 volunteers joined the search last weekend after the alarm was raised last Friday. Helping them were units of the Irish Coast Guard, Civil Defence, the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team and gardaí.

Members of a Garda Water Unit arrived in Kenmare on Tuesday night from their base in Tullamore and carried out a number of searches — one in a disused quarry near Moll’s Gap on the Ring of Kerry and another in a nearby lake. The searches failed to yield anything of evidential value.

Addressing reporters at a garda checkpoint in Kenmare, Supt Callaghan said detectives continue to investigate Mr Gaine’s whereabouts.

He reminded reporters that one of the last times Mr Gaine was seen in the town was when he had bought phone credit.

As officers stopped cars passing through a busy junction in the town to ask them if they had any information that could help the search for Mr Gaine, he pointed out that the farmer had left the town in his bronze coloured Toyota RAV4 jeep, registration 152 KY 366.

“This vehicle was found parked in his farmyard, just off the N71 at Carrig East," he said.

“It is now one week since the last sighting of Michael Gaine.

“Michael's family have had no contact from him and his family and An Garda Siochána are extremely concerned for his well-being.

“Searches have been carried out at Michael's farmyard and in the immediate vicinity.

“An Garda Síochána continues to work with and is fully supported by other state and voluntary agencies in our ongoing efforts to locate Michael.

“An Garda Siochána wishes to thank members of the public who assisted in carrying out searches on open land last weekend.” He added: “An Garda Siochána is not requesting the assistance of the general public for further searches, at this time.” 

Anyone with information on Mr Gaine’s whereabouts is urged to call Killarney Garda Station on 0646671160, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

Mr Gaine’s wife, Janice, is being comforted by friends and family at the home she and her husband share near Kenmare, about 3km from his farm.

The farm – which he took over from his uncle about 25 years ago – has been the subject of searches, including by sniffer dogs.

Drones with live cameras streaming video back to their operators were also used in some of the less accessible areas, sweeping back and forth to see if they could spot Mr Gaine.