Bernadette Connolly's daughter says she 'can't give up' one month after her mum's disappearance

The 45-year-old, from Swords, has not been seen since Friday, January 7th.

Bernadette was last seen on CCTV footage when she was dropped by taxi at the car park of the Shoreline Hotel in Donabate, walking towards the entrance of the Beach.

“I was told that the probability of seeing her on CCTV would be rare, but this [new footage] has proved it’s possible,” Jade Connolly said on Newstalk.

"They’re able to make out, with her timelines, that that was her at 12:46. I have to remain hopeful.”

“She walked right down to the very end of a beach, and took a picture - the Malahide Grand hotel was in view. That was at 12:38pm.”

"Then her belongings were found back up the way by a man at 2:50pm. He found her coat and her bag, and her phone was in her coat pocket,” she said.

“Her belongings were found up high - they weren’t right near the water or anything. They were up nearer the dunes.”

While her mother wasn’t a swimmer, she did like to paddle her feet in the water.

“There was a pink towel [with a red trim]… found close to where the coat and bag were. We can’t be sure if that is my mam’s towel, but it’s something we’re being open-minded about.”

Jade said Donabate beach is not somewhere she would usually go for a walk.

“We’d be used to going to Malahide, Portmarnock and Howth. That’s not to say she’s never been there before, but just not with me.”

“She said to the taxi man that she was meeting a friend. We just don’t know.”

Devastated about her mother’s disappearance, she said there are many questions her family needs answered.

"Where is she? Is she on land? Is she on the water? We’re open-minded about the whole thing… while some items have been found, we have no evidence to suggest she’s in the sea either.

“You’re trying to be optimistic, but I’m not in denial about the situation either.

"Until I have her, I can’t give up. I can’t sit back and not do anything.

“For me, not knowing would be the worst. If you did know, you could try to learn to grieve and have her back and give her what she deserves. For all I know, she could have gone off with a friend - that this friend knows that all this is going on and she’s missing.”

“Was it a tragic accident, that the waves got too strong and pulled her in when she was paddling her feet? There are so many things to think about,” she said, adding: “All I know is I need to keep going with this.”

Jade is appealing for anyone who is out walking on the East coast this week to keep an eye out for her mother.

She said: "Please keep [your] eyes peeled, going right up to Skerries, Bettystown and Drogheda.”

“Please keep her in mind."

Meanwhile her family are assisting Gardaí as they continue their search efforts.

Bernadette is described as being 5’6” in height, of slim build with hazel eyes, long black hair and a tattoo on her lower back.

When she was last seen she was wearing a black Nike training top with a large white Nike tick logo on the front, black Nike leggings and black trainers with white soles.

She was also wearing a black woolly hat with a black bobble on top. She also may have had a pink or red coloured towel in her possession.

Anyone with any information on Bernadette’s whereabouts are asked to contact Swords Garda Station 016664700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800666111 or any Garda station.