John Sweetman

And now, I'm here to tell you those stories.

In this podcast from Go Loud, I take you inside some of Ireland's most haunting investigations.

This is Lines of Inquiry, a Go Loud original podcast that follows the evidence step by step and tries to uncover the real story behind the headlines.

In this episode, I look into one of the most shocking cases the nation has ever seen.

This is Lines of Inquiry.

Elaine O'Hara.

Coercion and Control.

On August 22nd, 2012, two days before Elaine was reported missing, Dublin was gearing up for the opening of the annual Tall Ships Festival.

For four days each summer, Dublin's quays are turned into an outdoor festival site, welcoming 100 ships and over a million people.

That summer had been a complete washout and the wettest summer Ireland had seen since the 1860s, and the weather wasn't letting up for the festival either.

Despite the hazy rain and heavy skies, Dublin was buzzing, people milled around in plastic ponchos, the weather not dampening the city's spirits.

Around half an hour's drive southeast in Bellarmine Plaza, Step Aside, Elaine O'Hara was making her plans to head into the festival.

A few weeks earlier, she'd signed up to volunteer at the festival along with her dad's partner, Sheila.

They'd attended a training day together, and Elaine had been made a team leader, an achievement she was proud of.

Elaine had a great work ethic.

She worked part-time in a newsagents in Blackrock Shopping Centre.

Although it was not like Elaine to turn down paid shifts at the shops she worked at, she was really looking forward to the tall ships.

As well as working part-time at Ken's News Agents, she also worked as a childcare assistant at St John's National School in Ballybrack and studied nights trying to finish her Montessori teaching course.

She also volunteered for the Red Cross on Tuesdays.

Elaine lived a full and busy life, but she'd had a challenging time in the summer of 2012.