Margo's search for tragic missing cousin

SINGING star Margo O'Donnell has been helping with some of her own money, fundraising via concerts and a new record and in general co-ordinating a major search on a mountainside in Donegal where her cousin, six-year-old Mary Boyle went missing 34 years ago. Apart from promoting her own new CD of duets with other stars, including one with Dolly Parton titled Margo and Friends, she also has a fund-raising CD single on release titled Missing Mary Boyle and all funds are going towards the re-activated search for her cousin. 'We are confident now that the search may be coming to a conclusion and almost every week-end since last January I have been down there with dedicated groups of volunteers who are searching an area known as The Swamp and Blind Lough near where Mary went missing,' says Margo. While divers can't operate in the place due to its topography Margo says that diggers and suction pumps are being used by the volunteers in the search. PJ Murrihy wrote the song about the little girl's disappearance 34 years ago and all the musicians who worked on the recording as well as Margo's record label have all given their time and services free in making the CD single, which is available at her concerts or by post for €6. 'Any money that is left after we have found Mary will go towards campaigns for other missing people such as Jo Jo Dollard and Philip Cairns, a 13-year-old Dublin boy who disappeared in 1986 while walking to school. 'Philip's mother has been to some of our concerts and she has talked about their campaign. It is my hope that if there is any money left after we find Mary Boyle, as I believe we will, then it should go to help the other campaigns for the missing,' says Margo. Sadly Mary Boyle's father, Charlie, lost his life at sea six years ago, he came from Owey Island and was a first cousin of Margo whose mother is from the same island. Mary disappeared from fields near her grandparents' house at Cashel Ard, Ballyshannon 34 years ago and no trace of her has ever been found. Margo hired a clairvoyant back in 1977 to search for her and he pinpointed the area where he felt she was. She got the same clairvoyant back again in recent months when the search resumed and once again he suggested that the search should concentrate on the same area of steep and dangerous mountainous terrain near Ballyshannon. Meanwhile, Margo's other project is her new album Margo and Friends, which has 16 tracks and finds her doing two duets with her brother Daniel as well as one God's Colouring Book with Dolly Parton. Margo is joined by Larry Cunningham for their big hit from the time they toured together in the 1970s Yes Mr Peters and on the Conway Twitty hit As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone. Another of her singing friends, Folk star Maura O'Connell, joins Margo on the track Wrong Direction Home while Dolly Parton's two uncles, Louis and Bill Ownes also join her on two tracks. The duets featuring Margo and Daniel are their hits from many years ago Two's Company and Don't Cry Joni.   This album is available in all record shops but her fundraising CD single is only available at her concerts or from her fan club by writing and sending €6 to Shirley Jones, Margo Fan Club, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan.