A deepening mystery is unfolding in Cork after two sets of human have been found in the same remote area.
The latest discovery was made just last week on September 23 when skeletal remains were uncovered in the Killeagh area of East Cork amid ongoing works to turn the old rail line into a greenway.
This was the second such in little over a year and a half in an area that is seeing much old ground disturbed and cleared for the new Youghal rail amenity.
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Gardai have confirmed they are investigating "all the circumstances surrounding the discovery of skeletal remains in Killeagh in East Cork on September 23."
A Gardai spokesperson told CorkBeo : "The remains were removed to Cork City Morgue and the assistance of a Forensic Anthropologist has been sought. A post-mortem is scheduled to take place, the results of which will direct the course of the investigation."
Gardai have not released details on the age and exact location of the discovered remains and detectives will await the results of the forensic examination before deciding on the course of their inquiries.
In January of last year, skeletal remains were found on the route of the old railway line on the outskirts of Midleton in East Cork as work was being done to clear the way for the new Greenway.
The discovery led to speculation in the area around recent and historic murder cases, including some locals putting forward theories about War of Independence and Civil War-era deaths said to have happened along the old railway line.
The grim discovery was made in early January by workmen close to the Dungourney Road and they immediately notified Gardai, who cordoned off the area and called in the State Pathologist’s office.
The remains were found along the route that links the villages of Midleton, Mogeely, Killeagh and Youghal. It was later established that the remains were of a woman, aged 70 or older, small in stature, who had died in the last 10 years or so.
Forensic investigators were able to get a DNA profile from the discovered remains - this was checked against the national database of missing persons and open cases but no results or positive matches were made.
Gardai also said at the time that the forensic evidence had ruled out any link to one of the most high-profile missing person cases in the region, the disappearance of Tina Satchwell.
The remains of a nightdress and a cross, such as one that might be placed in the hands of a dead person in a coffin, were also found.
The Midleton Youghal Greenway follows the route of the disused railway line from Midleton Train Station to the former Youghal Train Station. The development has a budget of around €20m and is now not expected to fully and officaly open until the Spring of 2023, after delays caused by the pandemic.
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