Hundreds of volunteers search for missing lady

A massive search operation is underway in Navan for popular local woman Jackie Martin, who has been missing since Tuesday, 12th January. Mrs Martin (nee O'Reilly) was last seen parking her car at Johnstown Shopping Centre at 9.05am on Tuesday of last week and, despite extensive searches and a widespread publicity campaign, there have been no sightings of her since. Searches have been concentrated along the River Boyne between Kilcarn and Stackallen and there has been a huge response from the local community with hundreds of volunteers scouring the riverbanks since Ms Martin went missing. Hundreds of leaflets have also been put up throughout the town appealing for information. A member of the O'Reilly family from St Mary's Park in Navan, Mrs Martin (42) is married to Aubrey Martin and has three children, Kerrie (18), Alan (16) and Gary (8). The family lived at Troytown Heights but later moved to Glenveigh on the Boyne Road. She works at Nolan's Pharmacy in Navan Shopping Centre, where she is a popular member of staff. Her distraught husband, Aubrey, is fearing the worst at this stage as his wife had no money, no phone or handbag but is hoping for any information that might help in the search. Mr Martin said he never expected that more than 200 people would come out on Sunday to search along the Boyne between Stackallen and Kilcarn. Meath River Rescue are out all the time and the Garda sub-aqua team were also assisting. A friend from Dublin also brought his own helicopter to Navan at the weekend to help with the search. Mr Martin said he wanted to thank everyone for their help and support and said he did not know how he could ever thank people enough. Searches take place every day at 9.30am and 1pm, meeting at Kilcarn Bridge. A website www.jackiemartinoreilly.info also has been set up. Members of Meath River Rescue have been searching the river for the past week and the Garda Water Unit were also involved in sweeps of the river last week. Meath Civil Defence had 35 volunteers on duty and there were up to 200 other volunteers out over the weekend to help in the search. Sergeant Ronan Farrelly of Navan Garda Station said that yesterday morning (Tuesday), which was exactly a week after Ms Martin went missing, local Gardai conducted checkpoints between Johnstown Shopping Centre and Kilcarn Bridge to speak to motorists and pedestrians in case anyone had seen her. They also spoke to shoppers at Johnstown Shopping Centre and, while one or two people remembered her parking her car, he said the checkpoints did not reveal any new information. Mrs Martin is described as being 5' 4" tall, of light build with shoulder-length black hair and a pale complexion. She was last seen at 9.05am on Tuesday 12th January parking her red Renault Laguna in Johnstown Shopping Centre Car Park. She was wearing a navy blue/black hip length anorak, blue jeans and brown Timberland boots. Anyone with information on her whereabouts or any information that may help with the search can contact her husband Aubrey on (086) 174 0454 or (046) 907 1911, Navan River Rescue on (087) 638 8008 or Navan Garda Station on (046) 907 9930.