Gardaí confirm body found in lake is missing Limerick teenager

Skeletal remains found in a lake in Co Clare last week are those of a missing teenager, gardaí confirmed tonight.

Richard Kelly, who was known as 'Happy' to family and friends, was last seen in the Daly’s Cross area, on the outskirts of Limerick city, on April 24, 2006.

The 17-year-old had left his home in O’Malley Park to babysit his then six-month-old child at his former girlfriend’s house.

Despite extensive inquiries at the time, there were no leads to his whereabouts.

The teenager’s remains were discovered in Lough Brigid, near Tulla, after a fisherman called in gardai when he spotted something suspicious in the water.

DNA tests positively identified the body as Richard.

His disappearance and death are being treated as suspicious.

However, further examinations will be carried out on the remains to try to establish an exact cause of death. The results will determine the course of a garda investigation.