WATCH: Family of Imelda Keenan 'disappointed' after meeting with Gardaí in Waterford

The family of Imelda Keenan made another appeal to An Garda Síochána in Waterford to update her disappearance into a murder inquiry. 

The family, accompanied by local Sinn Féin Councillor John Hearne, spoke with members of the Gardaí for over an hour at Waterford Garda Station in Ballybricken.

They came with the express hope that a murder investigation would be launched, which could answer some of the many questions over Imelda's disappearance. 

Imelda was 22 years old at the time of her disappearance and was originally from Mountmellick, Co Laois. 

Imelda was reportedly last seen near William St, Waterford City on January 3, 1994. She had been living in the city with her partner at the time. 

Over the three decades since, her family have never stopped looking for answers into her disappearance. 

Her brother Gerry spoke with the Waterford News and Star after the meeting with Gardaí.

He said: "We were hoping that they would push it over the line for a murder inquiry. We were promised by the investigation team that they have a review team organised and the case is still well up and running as far as the Gardaí are concerned. 

"It's active and thanks be to God that something will come out of it but me and the family are a little bit disappointed."

Gerry spoke further: "We'll keep on trying, we haven't gone away, we'll be here again in a few months' time hoping that more information has come to light."

Asked how he keeps hope after 30 years, Gerry said it was the support of the wider family. 

“As far as the Keenan family are concerned, we are working shoulder to shoulder with each other, and that’s what keeps me going, honestly.”

Cllr John Hearne said: “The important thing to take out of today is that the investigation is ongoing and will continue to be ongoing. 

"But, there is a completely independent, specialist Review Team coming in from Dublin and they're going to review every single aspect of the investigation from the very start, until today.” 

He said it was his hope that the appointment of the four-person Review Team, which will be based in Waterford, would lead to the investigation being upgraded to a murder inquiry.

“That’s the positive,” he said, “but the family are disappointed that they didn’t get a full murder inquiry. The difference is, with a full murder inquiry, straight away there is an allocation of 1,000 hours for the investigation.” 

The Gardaí the family met with, Cllr Hearne said, were “so determined to say that they will go down every rabbit hole and chase down everything they can so they can sit down confidently and say they have done everything they can.” 

Cllr Hearne said that the family had “found it so hard to get meetings” with the Gardaí in relation to the investigation and said the investigations teams had committed to keeping “more communication with the family”.

“The clarity of sitting down having that face-to-face with the Gardaí to clear the air is so important,” compared with their existing situation of “waiting on interviews and hearing things in the press or on Facebook”.

Speaking to the Waterford News and Star, An Garda Síochána said, “The investigation into the disappearance of Imelda Keenan remains an open and active Missing Persons Investigation.” 

An Garda Síochána refused to comment on the outcome of the meeting with the Keenan family saying it “respects the confidentiality of meetings with families and does not disclose the contents of such meetings or discussions”. 

The Gardaí urged the public to come forward with any information on the disappearance of Imelda Keenan from anyone “who has not previously spoken with the investigation team, or who may have spoken but not provided all of the information that they possess for any particular reason, or who may, with the passage of time, now be in a position to provide information to An Garda Síochána.”