Crowds gather to remember murdered Offaly woman Fiona Pender

Scores of people gathered to remember missing Offaly woman Fiona Pender in Tullamore this morning.

The popular Tullamore woman was reported missing from her flat on Church Street in Tullamore 30 years ago on August 23, 1996. The 25-year-old hairdresser and part-time model was seven months pregnant at the time.

A looped walk along the Grand Canal was named ‘Fiona’s Way’ in her memory and the community of Tullamore has been meeting there every year to remember her and walk in her memory since 2014. The beginning of the walk is marked by a monument which was created in Fiona’s memory. It was designed by Fiona’s younger brother John.

Family friend Brendan Killeavy addressed the crowd at the start of the walk this year and again appealed for information. He spoke of Fiona’s mother Josephine, who died in 2017 having campaigned tirelessly to find her missing daughter and unborn grandchild.

“There is a small number of people that didn’t come forward with everything that they know,” he told those gathered.

“There are people out there that haven’t come forward. I would appeal to them to come forward. Any little bit of information should be brought to the Gardaí. If they can’t go to the Gardaí there is other ways and means of getting that information out there,” he said.

He appealed to the media to go track down the chief suspect in the case and “start asking some hard questions. Start doing a bit of investigation and ask him some hard questions”.

“No matter what happens Fiona’s friends, the community here in Tullamore are always going to keep getting together every year. We are not going to forget Fiona,” said Mr Killeavy.

Fr Fergal Cummins blessed the site of Fiona’s memorial and said prayers before the walk got underway along Fiona’s Way.

The walk along the banks of the Grand Canal passes the site where Offaly school teacher Ashling Murphy was murdered on January 12, 2022 and prayers were also said in her memory.

Earlier this week Gardaí issued an appeal for information in relation to Fiona’s disappearance and murder.

Gardaí in the Laois Offaly Division have carried out a sustained investigation over the last 30 years. The investigation continues to be led by a Senior Investigating Officer. Significant enquiries have been carried out in order to establish Fiona’s whereabouts and to investigate the circumstances of her disappearance and murder.

During this period, the investigation team have discovered and collated thousands of documents and reports, taken over 300 statements of evidence and retained a number of exhibits.

Five people were arrested and detained in connection with this investigation. And extensive searches have been carried out.

Fiona’s body has never been located. At this time, no person has been brought to justice for the disappearance and murder of Fiona.

Gardaí have appealed to anyone that met or saw Fiona in the early morning of Friday, 23rd August 1996, and to anyone who has any information in relation to Fiona’s disappearance and murder who has not spoken to Gardaí, to please come forward and speak to their investigation team.

Gardaí continue to appeal to any person who may have previously come forward who felt they could not provide Gardaí with all the information they had in relation to this matter, to contact the investigation team again.

An Garda Síochána appeals to anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant you might believe it to be, to contact Tullamore Garda Station on (057) 9327600, or any Garda Station. Anyone who wishes to provide information confidentially should contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.