BREAKING: Man arrested on suspicion of the murder of Jo Jo Dullard 29 years ago

Gardaí investigating the disappearance and murder of Josephine "Jo Jo” Dullard more than 29 years ago have arrested a man on suspicion of murder.

The man, aged in his 50s, is currently detained under the provisions of section 4, Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a garda station in County Kildare.

Saturday marked the 29th anniversary of Jo Jo's disappearance and gardaí had issued a new appeal for information.

On November 9, 1995, Jo Jo travelled from her home in County Kilkenny to Dublin where she spent the evening socialising in Bruxelles Bar, Harry Street, Dublin 2. 

The 21-year-old, who was the youngest of five children, missed her last bus home and instead boarded a bus to Naas, County Kildare at around 10pm. 

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In their renewed appeal, gardai say they believe she then intended to hitch hike the rest of the way home to Callan, in County Kilkenny. 

"Jo Jo hitched a lift from Naas to the slip road on the M9 motorway at Kilcullen, County Kildare. At approximately 11.15pm Jo Jo hitched another lift to Moone, County Kildare. In Moone, Jo Jo made a telephone call to her friend Mary Cullinan at 11.37pm," said a spokesperson. 

During that call, Jo Jo told Mary that a car had stopped for her and she was going to take the lift. This was the last known interaction with Jo Jo Dullard who was formally reported as missing the following day. 

Gardai say the disappearance of Jo Jo Dullard has been the subject of a sustained investigation over the past three decades and that the investigation is subject to ongoing review by the Serious Crime Review Team, National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. 

The case was formally upgraded to a murder investigation in November 2020.