Ireland Body found in sea at Slieve League after suspected assault, Co Donegal
Gardaí are investigating an alleged assault reported in the Slieve League/Killybegs area of County Donegal between Saturday 24 June and Sunday 25 June 2023. On the morning of Monday 3 July 2023, gardaí and the Coast Guard recovered a body from the water at the Slieve League cliffs; it is understood to be that of a man in his mid to late 60s from Northern Ireland, and gardaí are investigating whether it is linked to the alleged assault. A man in his late 30s and a woman in her late 20s were arrested, though sources differ on whether this was on the Monday morning or the previous week. The post-mortem by the State Pathologist has been completed, its results are not being released, and whether a murder inquiry will be launched depends on those results. On Tuesday evening, 4 July 2023, both people were released without charge.
- Reported1 Jul
3 reports - Arrested3 Jul
3 reports - Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Gardaí are investigating an alleged assault reported in the Slieve League/Killybegs area of County Donegal.
- The body is understood to be that of a man in his mid to late 60s from Northern Ireland.
- Where
- A body was recovered from the water at the Slieve League cliffs, a popular tourist spot in County Donegal.
- When
- The alleged assault is reported to have occurred between Saturday 24 June and Sunday 25 June 2023.
- The body was recovered on the morning of Monday 3 July 2023 with the assistance of the Coast Guard.
- Investigation
- Gardaí are investigating whether the body is linked to the alleged assault; the sources do not confirm a link.
- A man in his late 30s and a woman in her late 20s were arrested in connection with the alleged assault.
- Sources differ on the arrest date: one says Monday morning, 3 July, and another says the previous week.
- The cliffs were closed to the public during a missing persons search that began on Monday 26 June.
- A post-mortem was completed by the Office of the State Pathologist at Letterkenny University Hospital; the results are not being released for operational purposes.
- Whether a murder inquiry will be launched depends on the post-mortem results.
- An incident room has been established at Ballyshannon Garda Station under a Senior Investigating Officer.
- Gardaí have appealed for witnesses and for road users' dash-cam footage from the area between 24 and 25 June 2023.
- A car was seized and is being examined, and blood splatters were found in it.
- Charges
- The man and the woman were released without charge on Tuesday evening, 4 July 2023.
53 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA body was recovered from the water at Slieve League on the morning of Monday 3 July 2023. (garda.ie)
- whatGardaí are continuing to investigate an alleged assault. (garda.ie)
- whatA body was retrieved from the water at Sliabh Liag cliffs with the help of the Coast Guard. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí investigating an alleged assault recovered a body in the water off the Sliabh Liag cliffside. (thejournal.ie)
- whatGardaí and Coast Guard members recovered the remains of a man from the water. (thejournal.ie)
- whatGardaí are investigating an alleged assault in the Slieve League/Killybegs area of County Donegal. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe body is understood to be that of a man in his mid to late 60s from Northern Ireland. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe alleged assault is reported to have occurred in the Slieve League/Killybegs area of County Donegal. (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe alleged assault was reported in the Slieve League/Killybegs area of County Donegal. (garda.ie)
- whereGardaí are investigating an alleged serious assault in the Sliabh Liag area of southwest Donegal. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe body was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital. (irishmirror.ie, thejournal.ie)
- whereGardaí are investigating whether a body found in the sea off Donegal cliffs is linked to a serious assault at a house in Killybegs. (thejournal.ie)
- whereThe body was recovered from the water at the popular tourist spot Slieve League. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe alleged assault is reported to have occurred between Saturday 24 June 2023 and Sunday 25 June 2023. (garda.ie)
- whenThe alleged assault was reported to have occurred between Saturday 24 June 2023 and Sunday 25 June 2023. (garda.ie)
- whenA body was recovered from the water at Slieve League on Monday 3 July 2023. (garda.ie)
- whenGardaí appealed to anyone in the Killybegs/Slieve League area between 24 and 25 June 2023 to come forward with information. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenGardaí and Coast Guard members recovered the remains from the water on the morning of 3 July 2023. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe cliffs were closed for a missing persons search that began on Monday 26 June. (thejournal.ie)
- causeGardaí began investigating after finding a man in a distressed state following a collision. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationAn Garda Síochána are continuing to investigate all the circumstances of the alleged assault. (garda.ie)
- investigationA post-mortem has been completed on the body by the Office of the State Pathologist. (garda.ie)
- investigationThe results of the post-mortem are not being released for operational purposes. (garda.ie, thejournal.ie)
- investigationAn incident room has been established at Ballyshannon Garda Station under the direction of a Senior Investigating Officer. (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí are appealing to anyone who was travelling in the Slieve League/Killybegs area between the afternoon of 24 June 2023 and the evening of 25 June 2023 and saw activity that drew their attention to contact them. (garda.ie)
- investigationRoad users in these areas who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, are asked to make it available to gardaí. (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí recovered the body with the assistance of the Coast Guard. (garda.ie)
- investigationThe State Pathologist has been notified and a post-mortem will take place. (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationAn incident room has been set up at Ballyshannon Garda Station under a Senior Investigating Officer. (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie, thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí appeal to anyone travelling in the Killybegs/Slieve League area between 24 and 25 June 2023 who observed relevant activity to come forward. (garda.ie)
- investigationRoad users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, are asked to make it available to Gardaí. (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí asked road users with camera or dash-cam footage from the area at those times to make it available. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe State Pathologist has been notified and a post-mortem will take place in due course. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationA man and a woman arrested the previous week in connection with the alleged assault were released without charge. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí sealed off the cliffside and carried out a forensic examination of the area and a car seized in the probe. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationAn incident room has been established at Ballyshannon Garda station under a Senior Investigating Officer. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí appealed for witnesses who were in Killybegs and Sliabh Liag between the afternoon of 24 June 2023 and the evening of 25 June 2023. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationA man and a woman arrested in connection with the alleged assault were released without charge. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí searched a house in the Killybegs area and carried out forensic examinations. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí appealed for witnesses in Killybegs and Sliabh Liag between 24 and 25 June 2023. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationSearchers used a mannequin thrown from the top of Slieve League to find the body's location. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationA man in his late 30s and a woman in her late 20s were arrested on Monday morning. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe remains were taken to Letterkenny University Hospital for a post mortem by the State Pathologist's office. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationWhether a murder inquiry will be launched depends on the post mortem results. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationAn incident room was set up at Ballyshannon Garda Station under a Senior Investigating Officer. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationA house in the Killybegs area with direct links to the arrested man was sealed off and examined by gardaí. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeBoth were released without charge on Tuesday evening. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherNo further information is available at this time and no Garda spokesperson is available. (garda.ie)
- otherThe body was removed from the scene and taken to Letterkenny University Hospital. (garda.ie)
- otherThe cliffs were closed to the public the previous week during a missing persons search that began on Monday 26 June. (thejournal.ie)
- otherGardaí believe the man was in his 60s and from Northern Ireland. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe state pathologist carried out a post mortem at Letterkenny University Hospital. (thejournal.ie)
- otherBlood splatters were found in the car, which is still being held and examined by gardaí. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 4 Jul2023Mannequin thrown off Slieve League to mimic moment man was 'thrown off cliff'
Reports a body found in the sea at Slieve League after a mannequin search, the alleged assault under investigation, the arrest and release without charge of a man in his late 30s and a woman in her late 20s, and that a post mortem will decide whether a murder inquiry is launched.
victim, mid to late 60s, malesuspect, late 30s, malesuspect, late 20s, female - 4 Jul2023Gardaí investigate link between Donegal body discovery and serious assault
Reports gardaí are probing a possible link between the body found off Sliabh Liag cliffs and a serious assault in Killybegs; a man and a woman were arrested and released without charge, and an incident room has been set up at Ballyshannon Garda Station.
victim, 60s, malesuspect, malesuspect, female - 3 Jul2023Body recovered from the water at Sliabh Liag cliffs in Donegal following assault investigation
Reports that gardaí recovered a body from the water off the Sliabh Liag cliffs, that the remains were taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, and that a man and a woman arrested the previous week were released without charge.
suspect, malesuspect, female - 3 Jul2023Gardai probing alleged assault in Donegal find a body after days of searching
Reports that gardaí and the Coast Guard recovered a body from the water at Sliabh Liag, and that an incident room has been set up. The article does not name the person or give a cause of death.
- 1 Jul2023Update - Alleged Assault in Slieve League , County Donegal, 24th/25th June 2023
Adds that a body was recovered from the water at Slieve League on 3 July 2023 with Coast Guard help, that it was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital, that the State Pathologist has been notified, and that an incident room has been set up at Ballyshannon Garda Station under a Senior Investigating Officer. The article does not say the body is that of the assault's alleged victim, and it names no suspect.
- 1 Jul2023Update (4): Alleged Assault in Slieve League, County Donegal, 24th/25th June 2023
Fourth update from gardaí. Adds that a body was recovered from the water at Slieve League on 3 July 2023, that a post-mortem has been completed, that an incident room has been set up at Ballyshannon Garda Station, and that gardaí are asking for dash-cam footage. The article does not name any person.