A murder investigation is expected to be formally launched later this week following the discovery of skeletal remains in scrubland on the main Midleton to Whitegate Road in East Cork at around noon on Monday.
Gardaí are awaiting identification and the official cause of death on the remains, which were uncovered during a planned search by gardaí who were accompanied by a cadaver dog in Rostellan.
The area was immediately cordoned off for a forensic and technical examination.
The remains were examined at the scene by assistant state patholgist Dr Margaret Bolster.
They were then taken to the morgue at Cork University Hospital where a postmortem took place earlier today. Dental records and DNA tests will be used to identify the remains.
DNA samples have been sent to the laboratory of Forensic Science Ireland to see if they match samples provided by relatives of a man who disappeared without trace last year in Cork.
Gardaí are investigating if the remains are those of Kieran Quilligan (47) who is missing from Gurranabraher in Cork city since last September.
The course of the investigation will be determined by the results of the postmortem. The results will not be released for operational reasons.
A family liaison officer has been in touch with the loved ones of Mr Quilligan who are being kept informed during every part of the process.
It is feared that Mr Quilligan, who suffered from a heroin addiction, may have had his life ended violently by criminals.
In June of 2023, Mr Quilligan appeared before Cork District Court and told Judge Colm Roberts that he was on a methadone treatment programme. He was attempting to reduce the amount of methadone every week and to get his life back on track.
Gardai who were attempting to trace Mr Quilligan previously combed fields and the shoreline in Little Island, Co Cork.
Officers previously searched in the Courtstown area of Little Island for Mr Quilligan (47) who was last seen on CCTV entering St Finbarr’s Place in Cork city on September 1st of 2023, having left Cork Simon’s shelter on Anderson’s Quay at around 8:30pm.
Dept Supt Michael Comyn held a press conference in September of last year where spoke about his deep concern for the safety and welfare of Mr Quilligan.
Officers examined CCTV footage from the area.
They established that Mr Qulligan went up the steps at St Finbarr’s Place. However, gardaí could find no sighting of him exiting the steps at the top of the place on to Fort Street.
Det Comyn previously urged members of the public with information on the missing Cork man to contact them.
He said that Kieran left a premises on Anderson’s Quay with another male and came across Cork City Centre with that male.
“We have tracked him on CCTV coming across the city centre to Sullivan’s Quay and then to St Finbarr’s Place.
“Our enquiries led us to interview a number of people and to carry out searches of this area.
He was last seen when we are here at the moment on Proby’s Quay going into St Finbarr’s Place, and we have not been able to locate him since that time. It was approximately 9:15pm on Friday, September 1st.”
At the time of his disappearance, Kieran was wearing a black baseball cap, orange tee-shirt, blue zip-up hooded jacket, blue Under Armour tracksuit pants and black Nike runners.
He was described as being of medium build, brown/grey hair and blue eyes and approximately 5ft7 inches in height.
Gardaí carried out door-to-door enquiries in the area. Forensic examinations were also undertaken and searches were made of gardens in the area in addition to the grounds of St Finbarr’s Cathedral.
They also spoke to the man with whom Kieran left the Simon Community shelter in Cork. Mr Quilligan hasn’t collected his social welfare or used his mobile phone since he went missing.
Significant resources have been put into the investigation. Hundreds of hours of CCTV footage have been harvested and examined.
