Gardaí have established a man whose body was discovered in Galway in 2014 was a Polish national.
The man’s body was discovered in Rusheen Bay Woods at Barna on 27 September in 2014 by a man walking his dog.
After new information from former housemates came to light in recent weeks, Gardaí were able to identify the man as a Polish national.
Initially, the death was treated as a personal tragedy, as he had no form of identification when found and had very few items in his possession. Gardaí were unable to establish his identity.
Extensive efforts were made to confirm who he was including numerous media appeals, fingerprinting and dental examinations as well as searches of local and international missing person’s databases.
Among the man’s few possessions when located was a single silver key with EPA inscribed on it, Sterling and Euro currency, as well as a Canadian/USA watch and clothing believed to have been bought in the United States/Canada.
Gardaí said it was the key which resulted in the unlocking of the mystery surrounding this man’s identity.
Two Polish individuals contacted Gardaí after only becoming aware of the previous appeals recently.
They informed Gardaí that a Polish man had been living with them in a house in Galway for a brief period in late September 2014 and had advised them to rent his room out after a certain period of time if he did not return.
While they had since changed the locks, they had retained the previous locking mechanism and Gardaí were able to confirm the key fitted the locking mechanism.
This led to a definite line of enquiry as to the person’s identity, and this past week a DNA comparison was conducted via Interpol in Poland, confirming the man to be a Polish national who had arrived in Ireland from the US just weeks prior to his death.
The man was buried at Bohermore Cemetery in Galway and his relatives have been contacted.
A file will now be prepared for the County Coroner.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
