THE CASE of a County Limerick man who disappeared in the Australian outback is being revisited by the authorities there.
Paddy Moriarty (70), a native of Abbeyfeale, has not been seen since he left a hotel in the village of Larrima, 500 kilometres south east of Darwin on December 16, 2017.
Authorities are investigating suspicions he was murdered by a neighbour in connection with a feud. His body, nor any trace of his dog that left the bar with him on the night, has not been found.
A reward of $250,00 (€170,000) has been offered for information about the disappearance but, as yet, it has not been claimed.
An inquest into the case re-opened locally last week. Coroner David Cavanagh said “In my opinion, Paddy was killed in the context of an ongoing feud he had with his nearest neighbour. He likely died on the evening of December 16, 2017.”
It’s alleged that a neighbour had been recorded singing how he had hit Mr Moriarty with a hammer and how “I killerated old Paddy”.
The allegations are based on recordings made on a listening device planted in the neighbour’s home shortly after Mr Moriarty’s disappearance.
The neighbour denied making the comments or being involved in the Limerick man’s disappearance.
A three day search which began on December 28, 2017 and covered 85 square kilometres found no trace of the missing man. Police found no evidence of a road accident, no sinkholes that contained a body and no sign of Mr Moriarty .
