Gardaí to use dental records to identify body

GARDAÍ believe there is a “strong possibility” the skeletal remains of a man found in the Dublin mountains are that of missing 28-year-old James Kenny McDonagh.

They are expected to confirm the identity today when they access Mr McDonagh’s dental records and compare them to the remains.

Garda sources said the results of DNA tests on samples from the remains were expected to take between seven and 10 days.

Detectives in Dublin’s south inner city will re-launch their missing person’s investigation as a murder probe if the remains are confirmed as Mr McDonagh’s.

They will re-examine possible suspects, including criminals in the Ballyfermot area of south-west Dublin.

Members of Mr McDonagh’s family visited the forested area at Slieve na mBan Óg, south Dublin, yesterday and spoke to officers.

“There’s a strong possibility it’s him, but there is no confirmation at the moment,” said a Garda source.

State pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy and forensic anthropologist Dr Lorraine Buckley are carrying out tests on the remains. If there are any usual works or features to Mr McDonagh’s teeth, Dr Buckley could give an initial indication as to identity if the records match the remains.

Failing this, confirmation may come through X-ray examination.

The skeletal remains were spotted by hillwalkers at about noon on Sunday. They were in a shallow grave thought to have been disturbed when a tree toppled.

Searches began yesterday afternoon as most of the morning was taken up with Dr Buckley’s examination.

Gardaí will carry out an extensive search operation today and hope to be finished by this evening.

Gardaí said the remains had been scattered over an area, probably as a result of animals scavenging.

Gardaí said that no clothes, shoes, belt buckles, watches, or the like were found.

Scavenging animals may have dragged clothing away from the scene.

Mr McDonagh, from Islandbridge, was last seen in nearby Bluebell driving a wine-coloured Mazda 626, registration number 02 D 68758, on October 27, 2010. The car was later found burnt out in the Newcastle area of west Dublin.

If the remains are confirmed as his, detectives will now have a crime scene and a body to work with.

Garda sources said there had been a lot of speculation surrounding the disappearance of Mr McDonagh. There were claims he was targeted by a notorious criminal from Ballyfermot.

A Garda source confirmed that Mr McDonagh was associated with serious criminal figures from Ballyfermot and was also on the “fringes” of criminal activity. The source said Mr McDonagh was a bit of a “wheeler dealer” and may also have supplied a car to a criminal.