A man whose dad vanished without trace five years ago has built a striking memorial to him in his back garden.
Carpenter John Gear, 32, hefted five tons of stone by hand and erected two concrete pillars to recreate the clifftop location where John Gear Snr vanished.
The 50-year-old was reported missing on January 15, 2014, at Brownstown Head between Dunmore and Tramore in Co Waterford.
His family spent seven months looking for him with the help of the Coast Guard, Waterford Marine Rescue and an army of volunteers but was never found.
His son John told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “It was something I always wanted to do but I never really had the time.
“Now I look out at it every morning… people were worried that it might be upsetting but I think it’s nice.
“I don’t find it sad. We used to go to Brownstown Head as a family. My dad used to go down there with his dad fishing.” The poignant build features on next week’s episode of RTE’s The Big DIY Challenge.
He said: “I’m going to try to recreate the Brownstown Head pillars and a lookout and I’m going to try to recreate a cliffside.”
John faces an uphill battle as he can’t bring machinery on the site – meaning the entire feature will have to be done by hand.
But his 10 days of hard toil are worth it in the end as he unveils the memorial which will serve as a place for him to visit when he wants to pay his respects. John invites Waterford Marine and Rescue to the big reveal to thank them for their help in searching for his dad.
He tells them: “No one has to be upset when they see the end of it. It’s all fun things on the way. It’s about all the fun we had in Brownstown.”
Mum Marcella is moved to tears as she hugs her son and tells him he’s done a “great job”.
- The Big DIY Challenge is on RTE One on Tuesday at 8.30pm.
