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Gardaí continue to probe disappearance of two men

The families of the two men are becoming increasingly concerned after searches provided no clues

Ali Bracken, Crime Correspondent

Paul Byrne's girlfriend Martina with his daughter, Abbey and mother, Ashley

Paul and Martina

Stephen O'Meara

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The two families live about 35 miles apart but are experiencing the same pain.

Paul Byrne (21), from Tallaght, and Stephen O'Meara (26), from Wicklow, both disappeared in suspicious circumstances separately in the past few weeks and gardaí and their families fear the young men may have come to some harm at the hands of criminals.

Byrne, the father of a 16-month-old baby daughter, disappeared from outside his house in Kilmartin Green on 15 July. He should have celebrated his 21st birthday with his mother Ashley Dempsey and his girlfriend Martina McQuillan last Wednesday but neither have heard from him since he got into a car with two men outside his house. Just before Byrne went to speak to the men, he asked his girlfriend to come outside after a couple of minutes and call him inside as he didn't want to leave with them. But when McQuillan went outside, he was gone.

"Everyone saw him getting into that car. The gardaí have spoken to the two guys in the car, Paul knew them both and considered one of them a friend. But they both told the gardaí a different story about when he got out of the car. Somebody is lying," said his mother. "I do fear for the worst. Paul was a good young lad, not involved in any trouble that I know of. It is not like him to disappear like this. He's very dedicated to his daughter and girlfriend. Poor Martina lives across the road and is devastated. I haven't been able to sleep or been back to work since he disappeared."

Gardaí at Tallaght have launched an investigation and are studying CCTV footage of when Byrne got into the car and trying to determine when he got out. "He's a salt-of-the-earth young guy," said a source. "We are following a number of lines of enquiry into what could have happened to him." His family, friends and neighbours have been combing areas of the Dublin mountains, Tolka Park, Blessington and Lucan.

"He had no money, mobile or passport on him when he disappeared. How can someone just disappear without a trace?" his mother added.

Meanwhile in Rosehill, Wicklow town, John and Veronica O'Meara wait for news of their son, who disappeared nine days ago. The father-of-three has not been seen since he went to meet a group of men near his home. Stephen O'Meara is known to gardaí. Detectives believe he may have been abducted and attacked. A search team of 10 officers, using sniffer dogs, have searched a site off a dirt road in Ballydonnell, between Redcross and Avoca.

"Stephen was a nice guy, with three kids and a partner. We are just hoping that if he is found, if it is fatal, that he can meet his maker," said his father last week.