As gardaí in Waterford continued their search for missing woman Margaret Walsh last night, concerns for the whereabouts of a Wicklow teenager were growing.
Michelle Murphy (15) from St Peter's Place, Arklow, has been missing since last Tuesday. Her parents spent yesterday searching Dublin for her and handing out leaflets in the Kilmainham area of the city where a sighting of her was reported.
Gardaí believe that Michelle, who is 5ft 11 inches, thin and with dark shoulder-length hair, took a bus from Arklow to Dublin on Tuesday morning.
She last made contact with home in the small hours of Wednesday morning when she telephoned and said she was all right.
She was seen on Thursday between 12.30pm and 1pm in Basin Street, in the South Inner City, with a group of older teenagers. She was wearing dark jeans and a cream coloured hoodie with the word "Nope" in black on the front. She also wore a red and white wristband with the word "Poland" on it. Michelle, a talented accordion player, had travelled to Poland recently with an accordion band from Arklow.
It is understood that she did call in to Store Street Garda station before the weekend but may not have been dealt with appropriately and left again after a brief time.
Friends and family had also tried to contact her through popular website Bebo, but were unable to gain access to her page.
Sgt Tom Finnerty, who is leading the investigation from Arklow Garda station, said that Michelle's knowledge of Dublin would not be good.
"Her family do not believe that she has any money with her," he said. "It is a long time for a 15-year-old to be away."
He asked for anyone with information to contact Arklow Garda station on 0402 - 32304, the Garda confidential line 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Meanwhile, gardaí last night made fresh appeals for information on Margaret Walsh (35), who was last seen at Woodlands Hotel just outside Waterford city on Sunday morning.
Her car was driven from outside her home on Sunday evening and was discovered three days later at a car park more than 2 kilometres from her home.
While gardaí are officially still treating Ms Walsh's disappearance as that of a missing person, they are concerned for her, particularly following the discovery of a blood-stained mat from her car in a field near where her car was parked.
