The family of a man missing almost two months, have made a desperate plea for help to find him, ahead of his birthday on Thursday.
Mark 'Rubber' Duffy was last seen in Navan, Co Meath limping across the road of a busy street on Monday afternoon, October 3.
Mark is described as being 5'8" in height of broad build with brown hair and blue eyes.
Read More : Mum of boy mauled by dog in Wexford 'hasn't stopped crying' since horror attack
Numerous searches by volunteers, Civil Defence and Meath River Rescue have failed to give any clues as to his whereabouts.
Now his family have again made a heartfelt appeal for anyone who may have any information to help them find Mark before his 44th birthday on Thursday.
"It over eight weeks since he was last seen and it's getting harder each day," said his sister Leia from her Navan home
"He has two children Evan (16) and Lauren (12) and they miss him like mad, as do my own two Daniel and Rachel because we are a very close-knit family.
"He was getting ready to start a new job in construction and one of the last sightings of him was walking with a limp across the Commons Road in town, wearing a black jacket, cream hoodie, black tracksuit bottoms and trainers at 2.45pm.
"This area is normally choc-a-bloc with parents heading to pick up kids on the school run and I would ask anyone with dashcam coverage to please check back on that date.
"My dad will be dead one year on December 16 and Mark was a rock to me and my mam Martina during this time. Like us all, he was grieving but there's no way he would go this long without making some kind of contact with his children or us.
"It just isn't like him to up and disappear. We've combed every inch of Navan on land and in the rivers as far as Slane and it just seems like he has vanished. None of this adds up.
"Volunteers and strangers we have never met in our lives have come out to help us search and I would ask people who have outbuildings to please just have a look.
"Mark was always so bubbly and a larger than life character. Our granddad Andy Brennan was a former Mayor of Navan and so the family would be well-known in town.
"It's getting harder each day to try and come up with answers because we don't have any.
"Mark is the first thought on our minds in the morning and the last at night and every minute in the middle. It's pure torture for us. My poor mam is fading away with worry before my eyes.
"If anything has happened to him, we just want to know and bring him home.
"Mark was like a big kid on his birthday. He's take off work for three days to celebrate and would be the first down the stairs to meet the postman for his birthday cards.
"We thought he would definitely make contact with us before his birthday and we were clinging onto that. If tomorrow goes by on this 44th birthday with no news of him, I don't know what we will do."
Anyone with any information as to Mark's whereabouts is asked to contact Navan Garda Station on 046-9036100 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
READ NEXT :
Gardaí trace 'man jumping wall' on CCTV after taxi driver found murdered on lane
Doctors admit Covid vaccine possibly linked to 'mystery' death of Longford woman
'I bought a real Christmas tree in Aldi for €25 and this is what it looks like'
Ireland taxi warning as rouge drivers ripping off passengers with 'extra' charge
Dad shares genius condensation hack that gets rid of 'damp and mould' for good
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
