New book features case of missing woman

New book features case of missing woman


Anna Marie Flynn

A NEW book dedicated to the subject of Ireland’s disappeared features the case of Mayo woman, Sandra Collins (pictured).
“Without Trace, Ireland’s Missing”, written by well-known journalist, RTE’s Barry Cummins, details the dumb-founding case of the Sandra Collins who vanished without trace in December 2000. The release of the book coincides with the tenth anniversary of her vanishing. The Mayo woman, originally from Crossmolina, but living in Killala for several years at the time of her disappearance, would have celebrated her 40th birthday this December.
The book, which details several high profile cases, devotes an entire chapter to the Mayo woman and her last movements. Sandra Collins left her aunt’s house at approximately 7.30pm on December 4, 2000 to go to the local shop, Birrane’s. Three hours afterwards, between 11.30 and 11.45pm, she was spotted in the local takeaway, The Country Kitchen, en-route home – but never made it. That was the last recorded sighting of Ms Collins. The next day, following a formal report of her as a missing person, gardai discovered her fleece jacket on Killala pier but little else has been unearthed as to her whereabouts since that date. The Collins family continues to renew the appeal for information through the Gardai every year, particularly during the annual anniversary of her disappearance.
As part of his investigation into the case, author Barry Cummins carried out an extensive interview with Sandra Collins’ sister, Bridie Conway who described the heart-break the famiy have endured over the past decade.
Barry Cummins, already a bestselling author of  the book ‘Missing’ explores several similar cases of men, women and children who have vanished without trace while going about their normal lives.