Gardaí have issued an urgent appeal for public assistance amid growing fears for the safety and wellbeing of a 47-year-old man who hasn’t been seen since he left a homeless shelter in Cork more than two weeks ago.
Det Supt Mick Comyns said that gardaí were very anxious to hear from Kieran Quilligan or from anyone who may have any information about his whereabouts as gardaí were growing increasingly concerned for his welfare after he disappeared in Cork City on September 1st.
Det Supt Comyns explained that Mr Quilligan, who is originally from Baker’s Road in Gurranebraher in Cork, had left Cork Simon’s emergency shelter on Anderson’s Quay in Cork City centre at around 8.30pm on September 1st in the company of another man. Gardaí were able to establish that Mr Quilligan then proceeded to Sullivan’s Quay and on to Proby’s Quay near St Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
Officers have examined CCTV footage from the area and have established that Mr Quilligan went up the steps at St Finbarr. However, gardaí could find no sighting of Mr Quilligan exiting the steps at the top of St Finbarr’s Place on to Fort Street.
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Det Supt Comyns said that gardaí were satisfied that Mr Quilligan was accompanied to the Proby’s Quay area by his associate, a man from Blackrock on the city’s southside, and they had since spoken to that man, who has given them an account of his last sighting of Mr Quilligan.
“As a result of our investigations to date, we are very concerned for Kieran’s safety and wellbeing,” said Det Supt Comyns. “My appeal firstly is to Kieran himself – if he hears this appeal, we would ask him to contact his family, his friends or An Garda Síochána to let us know he is safe and well.
“I am also appealing to any member of the public who was in this area – at St Finbarr’s Place, Proby’s Quay or Fort’s St between 8.30pm and 9.30pm and even if they feel they have nothing to provide to the gardaí, we would still like to speak to them.”
A garda team carried out a search of the area on Saturday, including a search of a derelict house near the top of St Finbarr’s Place but they found no trace of Mr Quilligan.
Gardaí have also checked Mr Quilligan’s phone and found no indication of any activity on it. They also believe that he has not accessed any money since his disappearance on September 1st.
Garda sources say they believe that Mr Quilligan may have been involved in some incident or row at the top of St Finbarr’s Place and may have been taken from the area by others, but they are keeping an open mind as to what may have happened him.
“We really don’t know what happened – Mr Quilligan may have a row with someone over something – there are a lot of rumours on the street but we’re trying to check them each of them out,” said a garda source.
“At the moment we are keeping an open mind on what might have happened but obviously the longer this goes on without hearing from him or hearing from someone who knows something about his current whereabouts, then the more concerned we are for his welfare.”
“We’ve spoken to Mr Quilligan’s associates around town and none of them have seen him, which is very unusual, and his family are deeply concerned for his welfare at this stage,” said a garda source.
Mr Quilligan is described as being approximately 5ft 7in in height with a medium build, brown/grey hair and blue eyes. He has a large tattoo on the side of his head.
When last seen, Mr Quilligan was wearing a black baseball hat, an orange T-shirt, blue zip-up hooded jacket, blue Under Armour tracksuit pants and black Nike runners.
Anyone with any information about Mr Quilligan’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Bridewell Garda station on 021 4943330, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
