Matt Mullaney, from Massachusetts, disappeared from Florence in February 2003 after visiting an Irish pub with some friends. There have been several sightings of the 25year-old in Ireland since he went missing.

His parents Terri and Michael and his sister Megan will arrive in Ireland this Thursday to travel to all the places where there have been sightings of him. They are convinced he made his way to Ireland from Italy.

"There have been sporadic but consistent sightings of Matt over the last four years and the last one was in August 2005 in Kinsale, " his father Michael told the Sunday Tribune.

"An Irish couple from Ballyhooley on vacation in Kinsale met a man fitting Matt's description and calling himself 'Matt from Massachusetts' in two pubs there and we believe it was him. We sent pictures and videos of Matt to the couple and they are sure that it was him."

There have also been sightings of Matt in Galway, Dublin, Cork and twice in Maynooth. His parents believe he may be travelling around the country staying in hostels and B&Bs and working in various jobs such as bar work.

"Everything seemed to be going fine for Matt at art school in Florence. It is still a great puzzle to us why he just left without telling anyone, " explained Michael.

"It is every parent's worst nightmare for their child to disappear like this. I have learned to try and cope with it and control my feelings about it. Our 23-year-old daughter Megan is coming with us to Ireland so it will be emotional for her to see for the first time all the places where Matt was last sighted."

The Mullaneys will visit the US embassy and meet with members of the Garda Missing Persons Bureau, as well as visiting hostels, internet cafes and bars across Ireland where they will put up posters of their lost son.

"The gardai have been a tremendous support to us and they have followed up on any lead they have been given, " Michael Mullaney said. "The main problem for us is that we have not been able to peg him down to one place."

Mulllaney's disappearance was out of character as he had always stayed in touch with friends and family and had emailed and spoken to his immediate family on the phone just before he went missing.

"We are confident that he is in Ireland as there were a number of sightings of him on the way there and in Ireland since then, " his father said.

"We are going over to Ireland this week as we want to get more exposure and get his poster up to see if we can find him. We also want him to know that we are not mad at him.

We do not want to make him come home. We just want to know that he is okay."