AN inquest into the death of a Limerick man who had been missing from his home for more than three months has returned an open verdict after the Clare Coroner found that it could not be determined what happened in the lead-up to the discovery of his body.
Ross Minihane (37) was reported missing from his home on December 17 last year.
On March 29, his body was found on the banks of the River Shannon at Labasheeda by the crew of the Shannon rescue helicopter.
Originally from Rathbane, he had been living in Sixmilebridge for a short period before he went missing.
His remains were found when the Shannon coastguard helicopter was on a training exercise near the shore at Colmanstown. Gardaí and the RNLI assisted in the subsequent recovery of the remains.
Recognising the clothing that Mr Minihane was wearing from a missing person appeal posted on social media,
Garda John Cahill told the Coroner’s Court that he linked the remains to Ross Minihane from a description of his clothing posted in a missing person appeal on social media.
DNA profiling confirmed the identity of the remains as being those of the 37-year-old Limerick man.
A post-mortem examination was carried out at University Hospital Limerick but it was unable to confirm the cause of death.
Clare County Coroner, Isobel O’Dea said that as it was not known what happened to Mr Minihane in the lead up to his death, an open verdict would be recorded by the court.
Sympathies were expressed to the family and all those involved in the recovery of Mr Minihane’s remains were thanked as well as Garda Cahill, the Shannon Coastguard and Gardaí at Kildysart.
