The family of a 25-year-old Irishman who vanished in the Netherlands more than a year ago have appealed for help from the public in locating their "only son and only brother".

James P (or JP) Grealis, who hails from Achill originally, was last seen in the town of Breda in southern Holland in October of last year when he checked out of his B&B that afternoon. At the time, he stated that he was going off somewhere else to look for work.

Despite several reported sightings of him in the weeks following his disappearance, none of these proved to be accurate and there have been no sightings of him in almost a year. But his parents, James and Patricia, and four sisters, Clare, Bernadette, Caroline and Helen, have refused to lose hope and are urging anyone who thinks they may have seen him to contact them.

JP had lived in the Breda area at various stages since 2007, having previously lived in the town of Someren just outside Eindhoven.

His sister Helen has recently returned from Holland where, along with other friends and family members, she sought to highlight the first anniversary of his disappearance in the hope of jogging the memories of people living there.

"He never disappeared before, so it is very out of character for him. He knew my parents are worriers and would always ring from a landline if he lost his mobile phone or something," she said. "Some days you think he is out there, others you don't. It really is just so difficult not knowing. It is constantly on your mind wondering what happened, whether he's alive or dead."

JP has red wavy hair, is of slim build with broad shoulders, and is approximately 5'9'' tall. One notable characteristic is his habit of walking with his sleeves pulled down over his hands.

"If you know anything at all that might help us find JP, please do come forward. If you know where he might be, please let us know. Not knowing is a tormenting feeling – loneliness, emptiness, living but no meaning," Helen Grealis said.

"Nothing in life can be so bad for JP to go missing. If he is out there we need to find him and bring him home to Ireland. We love him so much and right now all we have is his voice on a phone recording to keep us strong until the day he comes home."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Helen Grealis on 086 8929303 or
hgrealis@hotmail.com. Alternatively they can contact the police in Breda on 0031 (0) 9008844.