The Mayo News

Westport builder disappears in Holland


Áine Ryan

IT WAS just a day before his thirtieth birthday, last Friday, November 20, when popular Westport native, Noel Gill disappeared without trace in the Dutch city of Rotterdam. Speaking exclusively to The Mayo News last night at her home on Horkan’s Hill, his mother, Bernie Gill revealed that her youngest son was last seen in the early hours of Thursday morning crossing the Erasmus Bridge, near Churchillplein, in the heart of Holland’s second largest city.
Earlier, like the majority of Irish emigrants around the globe, the football fanatic had watched the dramatic world cup qualifier between Ireland and France. Days later and Dutch police are now coordinating a search for him with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs also formally involved in the case.
In a desperate bid to find him, members of his family, including his German-born wife, Cindy, flew to Holland over the weekend to help with the search. Hospitals, hostels and other public facilities have already been checked to no avail.   
“About a year ago, Noel relocated to Holland after the economic downturn and the building industry collapsed. He had run a business here for years, PG Drylining, with his brother Padraig,” Bernie Gill said last night. 
She also told The Mayo News that her son came home regularly to see the family and particularly his wife Cindy and two children, Christopher (10) and Cian (5). Poignantly, she revealed that Noel has a tattoo with his children’s names in Arabic on his right arm. The two little boys are both pupils at Gaelscoil na Cruaiche. 
It wasn’t until late last Thursday night that Bernie and Frank Gill became concerned about Noel. He is the youngest of four siblings, with two older brothers, Padraig and Frank and one sister, Caroline.
“ I became alarmed when I got a phone call from Eddie Brady. He’s in his forties and from Cavan and Noel first got to know him when he first worked in Germany almost 15 years ago. Eddie has always been like Noel’s guardian angel,” Bernie continued.
“When Eddie said: ‘Please do not get alarmed, Bernie, but we can’t find Noel’, I knew something was seriously wrong.” 
“My heart is telling me one thing and my head another,”  Bernie emotionally confided to The Mayo News.
Naturally, the last few days have been a rollercoaster of emotions as Bernie Gill deals with the drama of a missing son at her cosy home on the edge of Westport.
“Neighbours and family, the priest, have all been great and so supportive. I haven’t had to make a cup of tea or a sandwich. And I really appreciate the help of Caroline’s partner Peter Geraghty and, of course, Noel’s best friend, Mark Sheridan, Mark flew out from Belfast with  family members at the weekend,” Bernie Gavin said.
It is now over a year since Achill native, JP Grealis went missing also in Holland. A campaign turned up nothing.

Missing Man – Noel Gill
THIRTY-YEAR-OLD Noel Gill is 5ft8in and weighs about 75kg. On the night he disappeared he was wearing white runners, faded baggy jeans and a zip-up top with large horizontal stripes.
Noel has a number of tattoos on his body, including one on his left arm of a Celtic Cross and the words ‘You’ll never walk alone’. He has two sleepers in his left ear.
Noel’s family appealed to the public for any information on his movements. Any information on his whereabouts should be forwarded to the relevant police authority or to his family at 00353-86-8930047 or 00353-98-27183. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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