Noel Gill......found dead

Ireland Search for Irishman missing in Rotterdam



Tuesday, 1 December 2009 19:54
The wife of a Co Mayo man, who went missing in the Netherlands 12 days ago, has said she believes something awful has happened to her husband.

Noel Gill - who is originally from Westport, but who was living and working in the city of Rotterdam - disappeared in the early hours of Thursday 19 November on the eve of his 30th birthday.

He was last seen crossing a bridge in the city centre as he walked home, just hours after he watched the Ireland v France match with friends.

A water search has been carried out by Dutch police but Noel's wife, Cindy Gill, told RTÉ's News At One that she did not believe her husband had ended up in the river, as he had a great fear of water.

Noel Gill


Age:
30
Missing since:
19th November 2009

Noel, of Westport, Ireland went missing in Rotterdam. He was living and working there, and had watched the Ireland-France game in a pub. He was last seen at 5 am on Thursday 19th morning crossing the Erasmus bridge.

Noel is about 5'8" tall, he weighs about 11 stone (154lbs, 70Kg approx). His hair is currently slightly longer than in the photograph.

Noel has a tattoo with the names Christopher and Cian in Arabic on his right arm. On his left arm, he has a tattoo with the writing "You'll Never Walk Alone" as well as a tattoo of a Celtic Cross.

On his back shoulder, he has the tattoo of a Leprechaun (The Crest of Notre Dame, The fighting Irish)

Noel has two gold earring in his left ear and one in his right.

Noel was last seen wearing the following:

White runners

Faded baggy jeans

Zip up top with large horizontal stripes

His wife, two young sons and other family and friends are very, very worried, and a search operation is underway.

They have created a blog with his picture and all the information here:

http://helpfindnoelgill.blogspot.com


Do you have any information?:
Any information on his whereabouts should be forwarded to the Rotterdam police at 0800 - 6070 or to his family at 00353-86-8930047 or 00353-98-27183. Email: helpfindnoelgill@gmail.com




From the UK you can call the Missing Abroad 24 hour central freephone information hotline on 0800 098 8485. Calls will be free from landlines but may be charged from mobiles.

If you prefer you can email any information to operations@missingabroad.org

Family appeal as Westport man disappears in Holland
MONDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2009 19:51
It was just a day before his thirtieth birthday, last Friday, when popular Westport native, Noel Gill disappeared.
Westport builder Noel Gill disappeared in Holland
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 helpfindnoelgill@gmail.com

Missing man’s phone records to be released today
MONDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2009 20:07
Missing man’s phone records to be released today


Áine Ryan

THE WIFE of missing Westport builder, Noel Gill, is due this afternoon (Tuesday) to be given details of the last phonecalls made on his mobile phone, before his disappearance, The Mayo News has learned.
Noel Gill disappeared without trace in the Dutch port of Rotterdam hours after watching the Ireland-France World Cup qualifier in an Irish pub. He was last seen by a barman from the pub around 5am on Thursday, November 19, when they parted for Noel to cross the Erasmus Bridge, near Churchillplein, in the heart of Holland’s second largest city.
Speaking last night from her home in Westport, Noel’s distraught mother, Bernie Gill, told The Mayo News that her close-knit family is still at an absolute loss as to what happened to Noel.
“We have been told the barman that Noel left the pub with was interviewed by police and released. Seemingly, nothing unusual happened on the night,” Bernie Gill said.
“According to my other son, Frank, who has just returned from Holland for a few days, it was not feasible for Noel to have fallen, or be thrown, into the river at the point he was crossing. Then Dutch police have also said that the waters are so shallow, there is no point in a sub-aqua search,”Bernie continued.
Mrs Gill also revealed there were now eleven Dutch policemen working on the baffling case. A large group of family is still out there, as well as [his wife] Cindy’s family who travelled from Germany.
“Each day, I’m just going through the motions. I get up, I eat, I go to bed. I have to say the support from neighbours and the community has been brilliant; they have called to the house, they have phoned, they have sent Mass bouquets,” Bernie said.
“We’ve even got calls from Australia from an old friend of Noel’s. When he comes home for a month’s holiday, he will go to Holland to help,” she added.
Bernie said it was heart-breaking to listen to Noel’s younger son, Cian (5), asking when his Daddy and Mammy would be home, and would they bring lego.      
Noel Gill disappeared the day before his thirtieth birthday. He had relocated to Holland about a year ago after the building trade collapse here in Ireland. Noel had run a business here for years, PG Drylining, with his brother Padraig.
Noel Gill and his wife Cindy have two children Christopher (10) and Cian (8). Poignantly, 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. 
Noel Gill is 5ft 8in 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.
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 helpfindnoelgill@gmail.com

Search for Irishman missing in Rotterdam
Tuesday, 1 December 2009 19:54
The wife of a Co Mayo man, who went missing in the Netherlands 12 days ago, has said she believes something awful has happened to her husband.

Noel Gill - who is originally from Westport, but who was living and working in the city of Rotterdam - disappeared in the early hours of Thursday 19 November on the eve of his 30th birthday.

He was last seen crossing a bridge in the city centre as he walked home, just hours after he watched the Ireland v France match with friends.


A water search has been carried out by Dutch police but Noel's wife, Cindy Gill, told RTÉ's News At One that she did not believe her husband had ended up in the river, as he had a great fear of water.

Missing Irishman found dead
ÉANNA Ó CAOLLAÍ

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the body of missing Irishman Noel Gill was found in the Dutch city of Rotterdam yesterday.

Mr Gill (31) was last seen by a Dutch friend crossing a bridge in the city as he walked home on November 19th between 4am and 4.30am.

Originally from Westport, he had been living and working in Rotterdam.

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs told The Irish Times this afternoon that Mr Gill's body was recovered from a canal in Rotterdam yesterday.

The Irish embassy in The Hague was immediately notified.  The embassy is providing consular assistance to Mr Gill's family and is assisting with the arrangements for his repatriation.

Body of Mayo Man Noel Gill recovered from the water in Rotterdam
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The body of Noel Gill was lifted from the waterways in Rotterdam, having been missing since the weekend of the Ireland V France match.

The tragic discovery brings to an end the search for Noel in Rotterdam and The Netherlands.
Noel Gill (31), a father of two from Westport, had last been seen when he headed for his apartment after watching the France-Ireland soccer match on television in a city centre pub in the Dutch city.

Mr Gill had been working in the construction sector in Rotterdam since his business in Westport folded as a result of the recession. He had been returning home regularly to visit his wife and children.

Our condolenses to Noel's Family and the shocked Irish Community in Rotterdam,.

THE family of an Irishman whose body was pulled from a canal in Rotterdam has appealed to Dutch authorities to carry out a post- mortem examination as they try to discover how and why he died.
The body of Noel Gill (30), from Westport, Co Mayo, was recovered on Sunday afternoon. He had been missing for three weeks.
In a tragic twist, shortly before his family were informed that a body had been found, Peter Geraghty (39), one of his closest friends and long-time partner of Mr Gill's sister, Caroline, suffered a heart attack and later died.
Caroline Gill was in Rotterdam supporting Noel's wife, Cindy, when she was told of Peter's death.
Both families have two young children.
"We can't get our heads around this at all," Mr Gill's mother, Bernie, said yesterday.
"One after the other -- it is just unbelievable. They worked together in Germany for years. They were football mad, huge Liverpool fans, friends for the last 20 years or more.
"Caroline knows Peter for about 18 or 19 years and has been with him for more than 15. She's absolutely devastated. They're just after moving into a new house and everything was going right for her," she added.
Disappeared

Mr Gill, a builder, moved to Rotterdam 13 months ago after work dried up at home, but would return to Mayo regularly to see his wife and children, Christopher (10) and Cian (5).
However, he disappeared in the early hours of Thursday, November 20 after a night in the pub watching the second leg of the World Cup play-off against France.
His family are adamant that after years of living in continental Europe -- and given his strong fear of water -- that something sinister may have happened for him to end up in the canal.
"The Dutch authorities don't want to do a post mortem," Mrs Gill said yesterday.
"His wallet and his licence were found on him, so they're happy enough with identification and they don't want to go any further.
"But we want one. Somebody knows something but they're not telling. And maybe we'll never know, especially if they don't do the post mortem.
"We're just after learning that there may be difficulty in claiming his life insurance if we don't get one.
"And obviously that would leave problems for Cindy and the mortgage on the house."
The Irish embassy in The Hague has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to Mr Gill's family.
His sister Caroline flew back to Dublin yesterday afternoon following the sudden death of the father of her two children, Chelsea (13) and Kayleigh (8).
It is understood that Mr Geraghty had had a heart attack, and was found slumped in his car near his home.
"He never, ever complained about his chest," Mrs Gill said.
"He had a bad back alright -- he was a roofer and climbing up and down probably didn't do him any favours, but there was never anything about his chest.
"It is just dreadful," she added.
- Jason O'Brien

Irish Independent