Family of missing Fermanagh man to make TV appeal for information

Michael Anthony Lynch, otherwise known as Tony, was last seen at 2pm on Sunday, January 6, 2002 walking down Fermanagh Street in Clones, Co Monaghan.

His family will make an appeal for information about his disappearance on RTE One programme Crimecall, due to be broadcast at 9.35pm.

Tony Lynch was working in Cavan at the time of his disappearance, and when he failed to turn up for work his family became concerned. He was reported missing on the 9th of January 2002.

Mr Lynch was a 54-year-old father of four. He had moved from Magheraveely, Co Fermanagh to a flat in Clones, Co. Monaghan two months before he went missing.

His wife Angela Lynch recalls the day she went to Tony’s flat in Clones and realised he was missing.

“Every single thing he owned was in that flat,” she said. “It was like he just went out to the shop and just didn’t come back.”

After 17 years the family are still in the dark as to what happened to Tony and are appealing to anyone with any information to come forward.

His daughter Mary said: “Different things go through our head all the time about what could have happened. We just really need some answers.”

Tony’s son Peter recalls childhood memories of his father.

“During the summertime he used to take me to work with him,” he said. “I’d sit up on the back of the digger all day with him.”

Angela tells of how Tony is always on their mind and in their hearts.

“I just want to find Tony for my children,” she said. “They loved him very much. They will always look for their Daddy, just like I want to find my husband.”

She makes a heartfelt public appeal: “All we want is the right to find him and that right, if he’s dead, to bury him.”

At the time Tony was driving a white Mitsubishi Galant registration number TIL 4670. This car has never been recovered and Gardaí are also appealing for information about the whereabouts of the car.