Unidentified remains were exhumed and placed on Midleton's old railway line, says coroner

The nightdress discovered at the scene where skeletal remains were found on a section of the proposed Midleton to Youghal Greenway.

The remains of an unidentified woman found three years ago in East Cork are still in storage as efforts continue to find out who she is.

The remains, believed to be those of an elderly woman, were discovered near the Shanty Gate on the old railway line at Westpark, some 3km from Midleton, on the afternoon of January 5, 2021.  The discovery was made by workers developing a greenway along the old railway line.

DNA testing was carried out on the remains after the discovery. However, while a small number of people came forward and had DNA taken from them for testing, no link between them and the remains was found. 

A post-mortem examination, as well as a forensic anthropology examination, was conducted on the remains.

The coroner for South Cork, Frank O’Connell, told the Irish Examiner: “There is an ongoing Garda investigation as well as a coroner’s investigation. Therefore the skeletal remains have not been buried. The person in question appears to have died and been buried, almost certainly in a cemetery and for some unexplained reason, exhumed and the remains placed on the old railway line in Midleton. 

"This person possibly died from natural causes and her death is likely registered already but we cannot match up an identity with the remains in question.” 

The belief that the woman may have been buried previously is because a crucifix and other items found close to the remains are believed to have been from a coffin.

According to gardaí, the remains are believed to be those of a female older than 70 years of age at the time of her death. She is believed to have been between 5’ and 5’ 2” in height, with a large frame. She is also believed to have suffered from arthritis and she wore dentures. An item of clothing, 50 inches in length and thought to be a nightdress, was found nearby.

Inquest

Mr O’Connell said a decision has not yet been made on whether an inquest into the woman’s death will take place.

He outlined: “An inquest is held in order to establish the identity of the deceased, where, when and how the death occurred. If we manage to identify the remains, the other questions will be answered automatically.

"I wouldn’t hold an inquest into establishing how and in what circumstances the body was moved. That is where the garda investigation comes in. I will make the decision about holding an inquest when we do get to the bottom of this matter.” 

A garda spokesman said there has no been no update on the progress of the investigation since an appeal for information was issued in January on the third anniversary of the discovery.