![\"Gardaí](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/LE7N2XUANEFHGZCNEYM54QWCHY.jpg\")
Garda\u00ed at a site in Co Wicklow being searched on Monday in connection with the murders of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob in the 1990s. Photograph: Niall Carson\/PA Wire <\/p>\nThe family of Jo Jo Dullard has welcomed the news that An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na has started a new search in connection with her disappearance at a site in Wicklow.<\/p>\n
The force confirmed the new search on Monday morning, saying that it is part of their investigations into the murders of JoJo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob, both of whom disappeared in the 1990s, and is expected to continue over the coming days.<\/p>\n
Garda sources said new information was received that something may have been buried at the site, which may have relevance to either investigation due to its location.<\/p>\n
It is understood the search is predominantly for items as opposed to remains, though the presence of remains cannot be ruled out until the search is complete.<\/p>\n
The two disappearances are not currently believed to be connected, with Garda sources believing anything of evidential value could be connected to either of the women.<\/p>\n
Reacting to the announcement on behalf of the Dullard family, Fr Willie Purcell, a close friend, said the fresh search was \u201cgood news\u201d for Kathleen (JoJo Dullard\u2019s older sister) and the rest of her family who hope the renewed search \u201cwill reveal something and in a sense will bring JoJo home\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat is the thing that Kathleen and her family have been wanting since her disappearance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Garda\u00ed at a site in Co Wicklow being searched on Monday in connection with the murders of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob in the 1990s. Photograph: Niall Carson\/PA Wire <\/p>\n
Fianna F\u00e1il TD John McGuinness who has campaigned alongside the extended family to keep the Kilkenny woman\u2019s disappearance in the public domain said he is \u201cvery happy\u201d to see that the Garda are still \u201cdoing their best\u201d to locate her remains.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe expectations of JoJo\u2019s family are heightened and I really do hope that there is a positive outcome,\u201d said McGuinness.<\/p>\n
Earlier An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na said the new operation is focused on an area of open ground in Co Wicklow near the border with Co Kildare and that the area to be searched will be subject to excavation as well as technical and forensic examinations.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson said: \u201cAn Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na continue to keep an open mind into these investigations and follow up any information which is brought to the investigation team based at the Serious Crime Review Team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Josephine \u201cJo Jo\u201d Dullard went missing on November 9th, 1995 while on her way home to Callan in Co Kilkenny after socialising in Bruxelles bar on Dublin\u2019s Harry Street.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old missed her last bus to Kilkenny and instead boarded a 10pm bus to Naas, Co Kildare, intending to hitchhike the rest of the way home.<\/p>\n
She hitched a lift from Naas to the slip road on the M9 motorway at Kilcullen, Co Kildare, and at 11.15pm got another lift to Moone.<\/p>\n
There, Ms Dullard called her friend Mary Cullinan at 11.37pm from a phone box.<\/p>\n
During that call, Ms Dullard told Ms Cullinan that a car had stopped for her and she was going to take the lift.<\/p>\n
This was the last known interaction with Ms Dullard.<\/p>\n
Ms Jacob was last seen near her home at Roseberry, Newbridge in Co Kildare at around 3pm on July 28 1998.<\/p>\n
She was 18-years-old at the time of her disappearance and had just completed one year at St Mary\u2019s University in London.<\/p>\n
On the day she was last seen, Ms Jacob had walked into Newbridge town to get a bank draft to send to a college friend in London for their rent deposit.<\/p>\n
At 2.14pm, she was observed on CCTV walking on Main Street, Newbridge and shortly after was observed in the AIB bank.<\/p>\n
At 2.26pm, Ms Jacob was observed again on CCTV queuing in the Newbridge Post Office and at 2.32pm was seen on CCTV speaking with a friend outside the Post Office on Main Street.<\/p>\n
The last known recording of Ms Jacob on CCTV was recorded at 2.35pm, walking outside the PTSB Bank on Main Street, Newbridge.<\/p>\n
She was last seen shortly after 3pm near her family home.<\/p>\n
An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na said their families have been \u201cfully appraised\u201d of the development around the search operation.<\/p>\n
In a statement, it added: \u201cAn Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na appeals to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant you might believe it to be to contact any Garda station, or anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.\u201d<\/p>\n
A restriction against the use of drones in the search area was also put in place.<\/p>\n
No arrest has been made as part of Monday\u2019s activity, which is a search operation only.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The family of Jo Jo Dullard has welcomed the news that An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na has started a new…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301041,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[42,142483,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-301040","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-jo-jo-dullard-and-deirdre-jacob-missing-pa2026","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-top-news","12":"tag-top-stories","13":"tag-topnews","14":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/301041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}