The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: The mystery of Bill Fitzgibbon

A man found confused in Ballincollig in 1986 spent decades in care without ever being identified

A new appeal aims to identify ‘Bill Fitzgibbon’, who lived in Cork care for 40 years.

Found at a bus stop in Ballincollig in 1986, unable to tell gardaí who he was or where he was from, the mystery man christened Bill Fitzgibbon by healthcare workers spent almost four decades in the care system before his death five years ago.

There was never a public appeal to trace his family, no DNA testing was carried out, and no photographs were released — until now.