Searches to begin today close to where Kilkenny man Dean Roche was last seen alive nine years ago

On March 22, 2015, Dean Roche left his mother's home in Hebron Park, Kilkenny, to buy a car. That was the last time he spoke to her. The last sighting of Dean was later that evening, in Ballyfoyle, Kilkenny.

In Hebron Park, Dean's mother Geraldine was beginning to wonder where Dean was and why he hadn't come home like he said he would. This was completely out of character for Dean.

The car that Dean purchased that day was later found crashed into a tree not far from where he had bought it. Dean was nowhere to be seen and has not been seen since.

Following a recent meeting between Kilkenny Cllr Joe Malone, friends and family of Dean and senior members of An Garda Síochána, including Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon, it was decided that a review into the investigation into Dean's disappearance would take place.

As part of this review, Gardaí will be re-examining sites of interest in the case

Starting Friday afternoon, Gardaí, aided by members of the Civil Defence, will be carrying out searches in Ballyfoyle that are expected to take up to three weeks.

"I'm delighted that these searches are getting under way today," said Cllr Joe Malone. " They don't have any new leads, they haven't any further information, however, there is an area in the park in Ballyfoyle that they haven't searched so a team of Gardaí along with a search dog called Molly and The Civil Defence from Kilkenny and Wicklow will search there.

Drones have already been deployed in Ballyfoyle to map and survey the area where Dean was last seen, added Cllr Malone.

"The searches could take up to three weeks and Gardaí will be going back around the area to talk to people. Over 300 statements were made to Gardaí so they will also be re-examined as part of this review."

Cllr Malone is a friend of the Roche family. He appealed for anyone with any information about Dean's disappearance to please come forward.

"Somebody somewhere knows something. I'm appealing for anyone who knows anything, no matter how small they may think it is, please come forward. It is never too late."

Dean's family and friends believe that the sighting of a large silver car moments after Dean was last seen is a vital piece of evidence that will help solve this mysterious case.

"The last person to see Dean out there and to make contact with Dean was a woman who described hearing a noise outside her house," explained Dean's best friend, Damien Hipwell, speaking to the Irish Independent in March of this year.

"This woman went outside the front of her house and found Dean standing in the driveway. She said that Dean was very confused and very disorientated so she asked him was he ok. He said he wasn't ok and that he needed help.

"The woman then went back inside her house to grab her phone and when she came back out Dean was gone. She had a little look around as she was wondering where he had gone.

"Ten minutes after that, this large silver car in her words came whizzing by her house really fast, at speed. She said she could hear it screeching to a halt at the end of the road and then all she heard was this big commotion of 'get in the car, get the f*ck in the car'," said Damien.

Dean's family and friends don't believe he is still alive and want the investigation upgraded from a missing persons case to a murder inquiry.

As Dean's mother, Geraldine Roche, passed away in 2018, Damien and the rest of Dean's family and friends are determined to find Dean so he can be buried with his mother.

"Geraldine passed away in 2018. Her body was cremated and her ashes and remains are at home in her other son's house as her last wish was that she didn't want to be buried or laid to rest until she could be laid to rest with Dean," Damien said.

"Her last words to me was when I went to visit her in the hospital when she was very sick. She was lying on the bed and she could barely talk but she gestured me over so I went over to her and I said 'Hi Ger' and held her hand. The last thing she said to me was 'don't forget about him'.

"I was so close to Geraldine, she helped me a lot over the years so I have this need to fufil that promise I made to her to not give up on Dean. I can't just leave it and walk away until we find out the truth.

"That was our last promise to each other. I told her 'I won't give up on him Geraldine'. Sometimes what spurs me on even more is that I can hear her sometimes and I know that might sound a bit weird but she is inside my conscience somewhere and I can hear her gesturing me on and saying 'keep going with it buddy'.

"That's all we can do, just keep going until the very end, regardless of what news that might bring."

Dean is described as 5ft 8in, of slight build with green eyes and short brown hair.

When he was last seen, he was wearing a black zipped tracksuit top, tracksuit bottoms and white trainers.