The family and friends of JoJo Dullard gathered today in remembrance of the young woman who went missing 28 years ago this week.
The annual gathering took place at the Kilkenny Missing Persons national monument in the grounds of Kilkenny Castle.
Organised by JoJo's sister Kathleen Bergin, Parish Priest Fr Willie Purcell and Deputy John McGuinness TD, the gathering heard renewed calls for anyone with information to come forward.
Deputy McGuinness said JoJo's family and the families of other missing persons gathered annually at the monument to remember their missing loved ones.
"We do this because it is important that we never loose hope.
"It is also important that we continue to support those families and hopefully our collective efforts will help to eventually bring about closure for them.
"As always, we encourage anybody that may have any information to come forward, regardless of how small that may be.
"There is always hope that we eventually find that piece of the puzzle that may help us to bring closure to JoJo's family and the families of other missing persons", he said.
21-year-old JoJo (Josephine) Dullard was last seen in the Moone area of County Kildare on 9 November 1995.
She had been hitch-hiking from Dublin home to Callan in Co Kilkenny.
The last reported contact with her was when she telephoned a friend from the village of Moone.
Three years ago the investigation into her disappearance was officially upgraded to a murder investigation.
The distinctive Kilkenny Missing Persons monument was unveiled in 2002 by the then President Mary McAleese.
It features the handprints of family members of the missing, including JoJo's Dullard's family, and was commissioned by a trust established by her late sister, Mary Phelan.
Music for the solemn gathering was provided by the Kilkenny Gospel Choir.
