GARDAÍ have identified a man whose remains were found last week in a north Cork house after laying there for what is believed to have been over two decades.

The man’s skeletal remains were discovered by Cork County Council workers in the bedroom of a boarded-up, single-storey terraced house on Beecher Street in Mallow last Friday.

Items of food in the fridge in the house had expiry dates of 2001, indicating the man’s remains had remained undetected in the house for over 20 years.

It is understood, that having got a positive match with dental records relating to the last registered owner of the property, gardaí are confident that the remains are those of a man who bought the house in 1989.

However, Gardaí were tonight not in a position to release the man's name.

It is understood he is from Kerry, and he lived for several years in the UK before returning to Ireland.

Some of his neighbours had assumed that his apparent disappearance from his home had been due to his returning to the UK, or to his being again hospitalised.

A garda spokesperson told The Echo on Tuesday evening: “Following the discovery of a body in a house in Mallow, Co. Cork on 13th of January 2023, an investigation has been carried out by Gardaí and the remains have been identified.

“An Garda Síochána are now in the process of contacting the family members of the deceased, including family who are residing overseas.” 

The spokesperson said An Garda Síochána was working with the family of the deceased in relation to the release of any personal details of the deceased.

After the remains were discovered on Friday, they were removed to the morgue at Cork University Hospital where the Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margot Bolster carried out a post-mortem which confirmed that the man had not died a violent death or been the victim of foul play.