Gardai search areas including Southill in hunt for missing teen

40 ARMY PERSONNEL SEARCH BARRY'S FIELD

Gardai searching for missing Limerick teenager Richard ‘Happy’ Kelly have begun a major search operation in the Southill area. After 5 months of nothing, Gardai now say their investigation has led them to the Southill Housing estate and the surrounding area including Barry’s Field(above).

With the assistance of the Army, The Garda divisional search team began the search for the missing man at 8.00am this morning. They seem to be focusing on four different locations including Ballyclough and the Ballysimon Road.

His mother has made numerous pleas for the return of her child and even sent a poem she wrote about him to a local paper.

On hearing of the developments she said today,

"The reality hit me that they were actually searching the fields of Southill for my child and I fell to pieces. It’s breaking my heart just watching it and knowing what they are looking for. Knowing that they are looking for my child, I’m pleading with anyone out there who knows anything to tell the Gardai. Please it's been too long, its 20 weeks now which is way too long altogether”

Richard was last seen in the Daly's Cross area on the outskirts of Limerick City on April 24th of this year. He had left his own house in O'Malley Park to baby-sit his then six-month old child at his former girlfriend's house.

Back in June it was reported that Gardai believed he may have met a violent death at the hands of a south city crime gang.


Just a side note here, Barry’s Field is no stranger to incident. Back in October of 2003 a man was found shot dead there(below). Michael Campbell McNamara died from gunshot wounds to the head and body, and a number of stab wounds to the back.

Army Photo: Limerick Leader