Unidentified Body on the Cliffs of Moher, Ennistymon, Co Clare

The Gardaí at Ennistymon Garda Station are investigating the recovery of the body of an unidentified male off the Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare at 14:20hrs on the 30th July 2010. Doolin Search and Rescue Team were deployed and recovered the body. The search team believed the body may have been in the water for approximately ten days. The body was badly decomposed and all facial features were destroyed.

The body was pronounced dead and the local County Coroner gave permission to remove the body and transport it to Limerick Regional Hospital. The body was naked with exception of socks and shoes. The make of the shoes could not be determined but they were black runners with a Velcro strap fastening. A label inside the shoes read “Indonesia and Budapest” which were presumably the countries of manufacture. There were no specific or distinguishing features on the body.

The body was photographed and efforts were made to take a fingerprint sample by the Scenes of Crime Unit. Due to the condition of the body this was not possible. A palm-print was successfully taken and forwarded for analysis.

On the 13th August 2014, an Orthodontist who examined the teeth expressed an opinion there had been some dental work carried out, most likely in mainland Europe. Bodily samples were taken from the body for DNA profiling. A DNA profile was created and circulated through Interpol with a view to establishing the identity of the body. To date this has been unsuccessful.

A post mortem examination on the body was carried out by Dr. Marie Cassidy at Limerick Regional Hospital on the 2nd September 2014. The examination indicated the body was that of a white adult male. The age could not be determined other than he was an adult. He was 179 centimetres in height. The hair was mostly detached although there was a little dark hair at the temples. His teeth were natural and there appeared to be a short dark moustache and beard. There were no tattoos or scars visible on the body.

The County Coroner arranged for scans of the body to be forwarded to the Craniofacial Identification unit at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification, University of Dundee, Scotland. The centre is home to some of Europe’s most experienced experts in the field of craniofacial reconstruction and the sciences of facial reconstruction. The skull and three post mortem photographs of the deceased were examined and a craniofacial reconstruction of the skull was produced. The images were circulated through Interpol to European Police Forces in an effort to identify the deceased. To date there has been no positive identification of the deceased through Interpol.

 
Gardaí are appealing for the public's assistance to identify this male.

Telephone Ennistymon Garda Station on 0657072180