TREVOR Deely’s heartbroken family have told how the discovery of Aengus ‘Gussie’ Shanahan’s remains has given them “renewed hope”.

Trevor’s brother Mark, 46, hopes advances in DNA could help solve the 18-year mystery of the 22-year-old’s disappearance.

It comes after Gardai confirmed in October that DNA tests had proved remains discovered in Co Clare in 2001 were Limerick man Gussie, 20.

Cops finished a six-week search for Trevor in Dublin’s Chapelizod in August 2017 without success and have yet to receive any new leads this year.

But Mark — who praised the informant who told cops that Trevor may have been buried at the 2017 search location — vowed to keep hunting for his younger sibling in 2019.

Dad-of-four Mark told the Irish Sun on Sunday: “The Gussie Shanahan case definitely gives us hope and the advances in DNA technology can hopefully assist our case to find Trevor.

“The issue of DNA is an area of interest to our family. I have passed on my DNA and I would urge other families to do the same because you just never know when it will be required.

“Here we are 18 years on and still no further on to finding out what happened to Trevor. It doesn’t get any easier for our family and my parents are particularly shook at this time of year.

“We are still looking for the same information and we still need people to come forward. After the dig was completed and with no information coming through this year we are again back to square one.

“I don’t think we can ever let go of this and the only way we can solve this is if people come forward and tell the Gardai what they know.”

Trevor was last sighted on Dublin’s Haddington Road in the early hours of December 8, 2000, after his office Christmas party with colleagues.

Enhanced CCTV footage of a mystery man seen following the bank worker on the night of his disappearance was also released by investigators from Pearse Street Garda Station. He later went back to work to get an umbrella.

The footage taken from outside Trevor’s office at Bank of Ireland Asset Management on Leeson Street shows him talking to a man who had been standing at the building for around half an hour beforehand.

Trevor was last seen at 4.14am crossing the Baggot Street Bridge and walking towards Haddington Road. Despite a series of appeals, officers have been unable to unravel the mystery.

Mark added: “The answer to our questions are still out there. We have gone down every avenue of thought. We have tried everything but I don’t know what else we can do.

“We are back to Haddington Road and December 2000 — that’s where he was last seen and this is the last 100 per cent confirmed sighting of him.”

The Irish Sun on Sunday can also reveal the Garda investigation into Trevor’s disappearance is ongoing, with the Deely family regularly updated.

During their probe, Gardai have followed 705 lines of inquiry. They have compiled 605 reports and taken 395 statements as part of the investigation.

It is being run by Pearse Street detectives under Supt Joe Gannon. A €100,000 reward for information on the case also remains in place.

Supt Gannon said: “I would urge anyone who has even a snippet of information whatsoever regarding the mystery of Trevor’s disappearance to contact Gardai at Pearse Street Station on 01 666 9000.

“It’s important that we bring some sense of ease and piece of mind to his family after all these years. It’s never too late to come forward.”

And Trevor’s sister Michelle also appealed for help. She said: “If one of us was missing Trevor would never give up on us. We are trying to put an end to this misery for Trevor and especially for our parents.”

She added: “We aren’t looking for anything other than to find Trevor. We are not on a justice trail, it is just to find my brother. As awful as August and September was for our family, that was somebody doing exactly what we’ve been asking for.

“We just want anyone who has the information to help us understand what happened to Trevor to come forward. The reward is still on the table and it’s never too late.”