Mother's pain for Madeleine's parents

Madeleine McCann has now been missing for more than a month

A woman whose six-year-old daughter went missing 30 years ago has spoken of her heartache for the parents of little Madeleine McCann.

Ann Boyle, from Donegal, knows more than most how the parents of four-year-old Madeleine must be feeling.

Madeleine, from Leicestershire, disappeared from a holiday apartment at Praia da Luz, Portugal, on 3 May 2007.

Her parents, Gerry and Kate, made an emotional appeal on the BBC's Crimewatch programme on Tuesday.

Mrs Boyle's daughter, Mary, is the longest missing child in Ireland.

Mrs Boyle, who is now a great grandmother, spoke of her heartfelt sympathy for the family and the nightmare of losing a child.

Six-year-old Mary disappeared without a trace in Donegal on 18 March 1977.

She had been playing outside her grandparents' home at Cashelard near Ballyshannon when she vanished.

"We were visiting my parents, my mother and father. It was St Patrick's Day 1977, Mary was coming up on seven years old," Mrs Boyle said.

"On 18 March, my brother was delivering a ladder back to a neighbour's house, Mary followed with him.

I will never forget that journey back down that road. I couldn't believe that I had to come back without her. It was just heart breaking Ann Boyle

"She turned back about half way and has never been seen since."

There was a major search for the child.

"That evening, garda, army and neighbours joined in the search. People from all around Ireland came and helped the search, from all areas they came and they helped. The search was intense for about eight weeks.

"Most of the time, I felt as if my heart was bursting," she said.

Eventually, they had to give up and made a decision to return to their home near Belleek.

"I lived about 50 miles away from where Mary went missing.

"I will never forget that journey back down that road. I couldn't believe that I had to come back without her. It was just heart breaking."

Since then, Mrs Boyle has prayed every day for her daughter.

At one time, she said, she convinced herself that a couple who had no children had taken her child and that Mary would return to her as a teenager.

"But that was 30 years ago and she didn't come back," she said.

"I would like to think before I die that I would find out what happened to Mary. But nowadays, I feel that Mary is dead and that something terrible happened to her."

Mrs Boyle said that her thoughts and prayers are with the McCanns.

"My heart goes out to the McCanns. I feel heartfelt sorrow for them," she said.