PATRICK NUGENT’s body is to be exhumed as part of a new Garda investigation into the death of the Sixmilebridge man in February 1984.
A renewed Garda investigation into Patrick’s death will see his body exhumed on Tuesday morning.
For more than three decades, the Nugent family of Sixmilebridge have been seeking answers into Patrick’s death, subsequent manslaughter trial and inquest.
Mr Nugent was working as a banqueting manager at Bunratty Castle, when he was found dead in the Folk Park near the popular tourist attraction on 11th February 1984.
Allegations that his death was not properly investigated were considered by an independent review mechanism in 2014, which recommended that the case be examined under the Section 42 provisions of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.
Following the conclusion of the Clyne Report in October 2020, a 111 page inquiry completed by retired judge Patrick Clyne was eventually handed to the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee (FG) in November 2021, this led to the commencement of a cold case investigation in 2022 which continues.
The late William Ryan, a long-time chef at Shannon Airport who was celebrating his wedding anniversary that night, was charged with Mr Nugent’s manslaughter but was acquitted in 1985. Mr Ryan gave three different statements to Gardaí about what happened on the night.
On the night that Sixmilebridge native Patrick suffered fatal injuries, two off-duty Gardaí were at the party.
Speaking following the confirmation of Mr Nugent’s exhumation, Patrick’s brothers John and Martin said they were appreciative of the work gardaí have undertaken over the last few years.”Our decision to agree to this unusual and unique step wasn’t taken lightly. It’s really very poignant for us as a family to experience the disinterment of our brother’s remains especially given the proximity of the grave to our family home. We accept that it’s for the best if the results can shed some additional light on what we already know.
“We have worked very closely with Gardai and our solicitors on the complicated logistics involved in organizing this exhumation. Having agreed to go through with it we are all quietly hopeful that we might just get a breakthrough”.
The family solicitor Kevin Winters of KRW LAW Human Rights lawyers said he understands that there will be a team of forensic experts tasked with the examination of the remains starting early on Tuesday morning. “A key area will be the tests undertaken on bones to see if those results might alter hitherto settled narratives on the case. We hope those anthropological findings will provide new investigative leads for Gardai in all their follow up inquiries. In many ways we hope this historic investigative milestone will pave the way for a renewed investigative strategy. After all this time it’s the least the family can expect to achieve”.
