Renewed appeal to help identify man discovered on Sligo beach in 2009

Gardai have renewed their appeal to identify a man whose body was found on a beach in Co Sligo 12 years ago.

Gardaí have made a number of renewed appeals to help identify four bodies discovered in Clare and Sligo in the last 12 years.

Two of the bodies were discovered at the Cliffs of Moher, while the other two were discovered in Doolin and at a beach in Sligo.

The cases are set to feature on Ireland’s Unidentified Bodieson Virgin Media this evening and gardaí have made a renewed appeal for information.

The documentary series follows gardaí and forensic scientists across multiple cases, as they try to solve the mystery of a body without a name.

In all cases, foul play was ruled out but gardaí are hoping people can bring forward information that will concluded them.

Rosses Point

On June 16, 2009, the body of a man was found on a beach at Rosses Point. The man is buried in an unmarked grave in Sligo Cemetery.

Gardaí established at the time that the man had only arrived in Sligo shortly before he died.

He checked himself into a hotel under a false name – ‘Peter Bergman’ – on June 12.

In Ep2 of Ireland's Unidentified Bodies, Supt. John O’Reilly describes how the case of an unidentified male found on the beach in Rosses Point in 09 has had a profound effect on him and haunts him 11 years on. Ireland's Unidentified Bodies every Sunday at 10pm on VirginMediaOne. pic.twitter.com/2ehSLNPLf1

— Mind the Gap Films (@MindtheGapFilms) October 28, 2021

He was sighted and captured on CCTV in and around the Sligo area for a number of days before he was found deceased at Rosses Point.

Items found on the rocks near where he was discovered included: 

• black leather Finn Comfort shoes, size 44, manufactured in 2002 in Germany; 
• dark socks; 
• a black leather C&A jacket; 
• navy C&A chino trousers; 
• a black sleeveless Tommy Hilfiger jumper; 
• a black leather belt, called Key West USA, made in Italy.

Gardaí have issued the appeal in the hope of bringing the case to a conclusion.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Sligo Garda Station 071-9157000, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda Station.

Cliffs of Moher

The three Clare cases are all being investigated by gardaí in Kilrush.

On August 14, 2016, the body of a woman was recovered near Doolin, Co Clare by a member of the Burren sub-aqua unit in the course of a training exercise.

Partial clothing on the body included denim jeans bearing the label Esmara and another item of clothing which was purple in colour bearing a size tag 40/42. A black belt with a woven pattern was also recovered.

The second body recovered in Clare was a man found floating in the water off the Cliffs of Moher on July 30, 2010.

Clothing recovered on the deceased included; black socks and black Velcro strapped runners. The runners bore the label "Indoneisa and Budapest”.

A reconstruction was carried out and an image produced by the University of Dundee in Scotland. The image was shown on an episode of Crimecall in October 2014, but the deceased has yet to be identified.

In this week's episode of 'Ireland's Unidentified Bodies' (Sun 31st Oct at 10pm on Virgin Media One), Garda Mervyn Forde and Dr Christopher Rynn describe the production of a facial reconstruction for an unidentified male discovered near the Cliffs of Moher in 2010. pic.twitter.com/1AeRQgqcSM

— Mind the Gap Films (@MindtheGapFilms) October 30, 2021

On October 4, 2018, a woman’s body was also discovered off the Cliffs of Moher.

She was described an Asian female, around 5’8’’ in height. She had a slim build and estimated to be aged in her early 50s.

Three items of jewellery were recovered on body; a gold ring with the words "Caby” on the inside, a gold ring with green stones and a gold bracelet.

Anyone with information on these three cases is asked to contact Kilrush Garda Station 065 9080557, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.