Fears were growing last night for the safety of a young mother who has gone missing from a hen party.

Ruth Maguire (30), from Newcastle, Co Down, was one of 32 women on a hen party in Carlingford, Co Louth, when she disappeared at around midnight on Saturday.

Searches will resume off the Louth coast this morning for the mother of three.

An Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter, the Greenore Coast Guard, the Belfast Coastguard and Kilkeel Lifeboat joined in the search yesterday when it emerged that Ms Maguire posted a photograph on social media with Carlingford Lough close by.

Her friend Katrina O’Hare said the group was on a hen party and was staying in a rented house in Carlingford.

She said the group left Taaffe’s bar in the village at around 11.30pm on Saturday night and was “all headed home to the house we are staying in”, a walk of around five minutes.

However, within minutes they realised that Ms Maguire was not with them and Ms O’Hare said “this is totally out of character” for her.

The group, the majority of whom are from Belfast, began searching for her straight away but could not find her.

A doorman heard her say she might make her way home to Newcastle, but her partner and children had gone to Belfast for the night. Her partner drove to Newcastle from Belfast yesterday morning but she was not there.

Last night, it emerged Ms Maguire took a photograph and posted it to Instagram at around midnight on Saturday.

However, her phone appeared to be turned off yesterday. Her coat was found in the bar she was last in with her friends. Ms Maguire is described as being tall and slim with blonde hair.

When last seen she was wearing a black t-shirt saying ‘Member of Irish Bride drinking team’ and black jeans.

The hen party arrived in Carlingford on Saturday and was due to leave today.

Ms O’Hare said the disappearance of her friend “is awful, just awful”.

She appealed to Ms Maguire to make contact with her friends straight away or for anyone who knows her whereabouts to contact gardaí in Carlingford on 042-9373102.

Meanwhile, gardaí have issued an appeal for help in tracing missing 15-year-old Megan Cooney, from Coolock, Dublin.

She was last seen in the Coolock area on Friday and is described as being 5ft 4in tall with long, brown hair, blue eyes and of a slim build.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Coolock garda station on 01 6664200.

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