Ministers McEntee and Browne publish updated Unidentified Human Remains Database
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From: Department of Justice
- Published on: 14 June 2024
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Minister of State James Browne have today published a second iteration of the database of information on unidentified human remains provided by coroners around the country. The database can be found on the Coroner Service website.
Visual records, including facial images and visuals of items found with remains, have been included where provided by coroners in the dataset for the first time.
Coroners were asked to include in their 2023 return visuals of distinctive items such as jewellery, clothing, and tattoos found with or on the unidentified remains where they are available.
The Department of Justice received visual detail from four coronial districts comprising three facial images (inclusive of one facial reconstruction image) and two visuals of items found with the remains.
One new return in respect of a partial remain, a skull fragment, discovered in Tra Ciaran, North Harbour, Cape Clear, Co Cork on 11 December 2021, ( confirmed to be human remains) on 30 October 2023, was made for 2023.
The database now contains details of 26 unidentified full remains, 20 unidentified partial remains and 16 historical remains.
Minister of State James Browne launched the first iteration of the database on 16 May 2023, following compilation and publication of the database for the first time.
On 31 January 2024, both Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Minister Browne, along with department officials, met with the families of missing persons to listen to their individual experiences.
Commenting on today’s publication, Minister Browne said:
“I can only imagine the ongoing pain, suffering and lack of closure experienced by the families and friends of missing people in Ireland in the absence of the remains of their loved ones.
"I have met with many families at Missing Persons Day and in more recent meetings with Minister McEntee to listen to their personal experiences. I hope that the release of this information which now for the first time, and going forward, includes visual data will assist in the identification and location of missing persons and give closure to the many families who bear such a heavy pain.”
Minister McEntee said:
“The release of this latest database is a hugely important step for the families of missing people.
“The wider the circulation of this database, the greater the chance of someone realising they have information that could assist in solving these cases and help bring some closure for families who are missing loved ones. I strongly encourage any person with relevant information to contact An Garda Síochána or the relevant coroner.
“The publication of this latest database marks the culmination of several years of diligent work and persistence by dedicated people across a number of organisations.
“Their efforts led to the establishment of a national DNA database in Ireland in 2015, which was a landmark development in the identification of human remains.
“In July 2021, the Department of Justice established a Forum alongside An Garda Síochána’s Missing Persons Unit, Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) and the Coroners Society of Ireland to facilitate information exchange on unidentified remains and discuss how gathering and sharing of unidentified remains data can be improved.
“I would like to thank coroners throughout the country for providing the information on unidentified remains which has made publication of this dataset possible.
“I also acknowledge the input and cooperation from An Garda Síochána’s Missing Persons Unit, Forensic Science Ireland and the Coroners Society of Ireland, which has played a crucial role in the publishing of this updated information.”
As the data on unidentified human remains was being compiled, it emerged that a number of remains detailed on the database did not have corresponding DNA samples on the National DNA Database.
As DNA profiles are generated and uploaded onto the database, they will be regularly checked against all profiles of unidentified remains in the hope of locating a DNA match and establishing an identification.
Given the complexities associated with historical remains, this process is expected to take some time to complete. Three exhumations have been carried out to date and DNA samples has been extracted from two remains. Unfortunately, it has not yet been possible to identify the remains, but enquiries are ongoing into these and a number of other cases.
The department will continue to engage with the Forum in respect of the publication of further visual data as and when it becomes available to the coroners.
Notes
The new visual records included in the database are:
- imagery of clothing found on male remains recovered from the River Liffey at North Wall Quay, Dublin on 20 May 1982 (Database reference: DUB003)
- imagery of clothing found on female remains recovered at Ballinamona, Kilmuckridge, Gorey, Co. Wexford on 12 December 1995 (Database reference: WX001)
- craniofacial reconstruction with computer generated image of the deceased’s face, male found at the base of the Cliffs of Moher on 30 July 2010 (Database reference: CL001)
- facial image of female remains recovered from the River Liffey at Breakwater Road, Alexandra Basin on 10 January 1990 (Database reference: DUB005)
- facial image of male remains found at Rosses Point, Sligo on 16 June 2009 and CCTV still (Database reference: SL001)
Historical remains are defined as remains that are 100+ years old.
The coroners service comprises the network of coroners located in districts throughout the country. All coronial districts, with the exception of Dublin, are the responsibility of the relevant Local Authority.
Coroners are independent quasi-judicial office holders whose core function is to investigate sudden and unexplained deaths so that a death certificate can be issued. Neither the Minister nor the Department of Justice has any function in the conduct of coronial business.
The Forum meets bi-annually, or more frequently as required, and its primary focus since establishment has been the development and publication of a database of Unidentified Remains.
In June 2021, Coroners were requested to send the department details of all unidentified human remains within their coronial districts.
In order to keep this data up to date, from 2022 onwards, coroners have been asked to include details of any unidentified human remains reported to them in the preceding year, as part of a new, statutory annual return to the Minister.
The department remains committed to working with AGS, the Coroners and Forensic Science Ireland to facilitate the exhumation of remains for the purpose of DNA samples being taken where possible and upload those profiles to the National DNA Database.