A BODY has been found in the search for Irish mother-of-three Ruth Maguire who went missing from a hen party in Co. Louth on Saturday night.
Ms Maguire, 30, was last seen on CCTV walking towards an area of water at Carlingford Lough after leaving Taaffe's bar in the town at around 11.30pm.
The Belfast native was reported missing after pals from her 32-strong hen do group noticed she had not returned with them to a house they had booked around five minutes' walk away.
Ms Maguire, a resident of Newcastle in Co. Down and a worker at Daisy Hill Hospital, had travelled across the border to celebrate a friend's imminent marriage.
She left her coat in the bar and was not able to be contacted by phone in the wake of her disappearance.
Ms Maguire, 30, was in Carlingford for a friend's hen do (Image: Facebook)A multi-agency search and rescue operation by Gardaí, the Belfast Coastguard, the Bangor Coastguard, the Rescue 116 helicopter and Mourne Mountain Rescue was called off on Carlingford Lough after darkness fell on Sunday evening.
However, the sub-aqua search resumed on Monday morning and the body of a female was recovered by Garda Water Unit divers between Carlingford and Greenore this afternoon.
Gardaí believe the remains are those of Ms Maguire.
A Garda spokesman said: "The search for a missing 30-year-old woman has been stood down following the discovery of a body of a woman in the water at Carlingford Lough this afternoon Monday the 18th of March 2019.
"The body is believed to be that of missing woman Ruth Maguire.
"Gardaí wish to thank the public for their help in this instance, the help of the volunteers and the Coast Guard.
"No further assistance is required."
