Ireland Case No. 3692Murder · Co. Laois · 30 Jan 2019
Three released without charge in Portlaoise murder investigation
William Delaney, 56, a Tipperary native living in Portlaoise, went missing on 30 January 2019 after being last seen in Monasterevin, Co Kildare. Gardaí believe he was murdered by a person known to him and his remains dumped in a makeshift grave in Laois. Searches in 2019, 2021 and 2023 and multiple arrests since 2019 have not led to a charge. On 30 March 2026, two women and a man were arrested and released without charge, and the investigation remains ongoing.
- Reported1 Mar
- Arrested26 Nov
4 reports - Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Gardaí believe William Delaney was murdered by a person known to him over a personal matter and his remains dumped in a makeshift grave.
- Where
- William Delaney went missing from his home in Fielbrook, Portlaoise, Co Laois.
- When
- Delaney was last seen at about 3pm on 30 January 2019 in Monasterevin, Co Kildare, and was reported missing by his family on 6 March 2019.
- Cause
- Gardaí received intelligence in June 2019 that Delaney had been killed and buried in Laois, and further intelligence claimed he was tortured before his remains were disposed of.
- Investigation
- Searches of the Rock of Dunamase in June 2019, the Fieldbrook area in March 2021, and bogland at Kyletalesha in August 2023 found no remains.
- Arrests were made in June 2019, April 2021, November 2025, and 30 March 2026, all of which were released without charge.
- On 30 March 2026, two women aged in their 20s and 30s and a man aged in his 30s were arrested under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 and released without charge.
- Other details
- Delaney left Portlaoise Hospital on the morning he vanished and collected his welfare payments at Portlaoise Post Office before being last seen.
- The investigation is ongoing and Gardaí are appealing to the community for information.
58 statements extracted from the articles
- whatGardaí believe William Delaney was murdered and his remains dumped in a makeshift grave. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThree further people (two women and a man) were arrested on 30 March 2026 (garda.ie)
- whatGardaí arrested three people in connection with the murder of William Delaney. (leinsterexpress.ie, kildarenow.com)
- whatWilliam Delaney was murdered in 2019. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- whereGardaí searched bogland outside Portlaoise for William Delaney. (offalyexpress.ie)
- whereThe search was at bogland at Kyletalesha near Portlaoise. (offalyexpress.ie)
- whereWilliam Delaney vanished in Portlaoise. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe murder investigation is based in Portlaoise (garda.ie)
- whereThe three are held at Garda stations in the Midland and South Western regions (garda.ie)
- whereWilliam Delaney went missing from his home in Portlaoise. (kildarenow.com)
- whereWilliam Delaney was last seen in Monasterevin, Co Kildare. (kildarenow.com)
- whereWilliam Delaney was a Tipperary native who lived in Fielbrook, Portlaoise. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- whenWilliam Delaney was last confirmed seen at about 3pm on 30 January 2019 in Monasterevin, Co Kildare. (offalyexpress.ie)
- whenWilliam Delaney was reported missing by his family on 6 March 2019. (offalyexpress.ie, leinsterexpress.ie)
- whenThe last confirmed sighting of William Delaney was in Portlaoise on 31 January 2019. (irishtimes.com)
- whenWilliam Delaney went missing on 30 January 2019 (garda.ie, kildarenow.com)
- whenWilliam Delaney went missing on Wednesday 30 January 2019 (garda.ie)
- whenWilliam Delaney was last seen at about 3pm on 30 January 2019 in Monasterevin, Co Kildare. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- causeGardaí believe Delaney was killed by a person known to him over a personal matter. (irishtimes.com)
- causeIn June 2019, gardaí received information that William Delaney had been killed and his body buried in Laois. (leinsterexpress.ie, kildarenow.com)
- investigationGardaí were investigating the murder of William Delaney. (offalyexpress.ie)
- investigationThe Garda search in the Midlands for the missing man has ended. (offalyexpress.ie)
- investigationIn June 2019 Gardaí received information that William Delaney had been killed and buried in Laois. (offalyexpress.ie)
- investigationA search around the Rock of Dunamaise found no remains. (offalyexpress.ie)
- investigationDelaney's death has been treated as a murder since mid-2019. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí received intelligence claiming Delaney was tortured and murdered before his remains were disposed of. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThree people questioned about the 2019 killing were released without charge on a Tuesday. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationTwo women in their 30s and 50s and a man in his 30s were arrested on a Monday under section four of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 and released without charge. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA man in his 20s was arrested in April 2021 and released without charge. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA man in his 30s and a teenage girl were arrested for questioning in June 2019 and released without charge. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí and the Defence Forces searched the Rock of Dunamase in June 2019 and found nothing. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationFurther searches in March 2021 in the Fieldbrook area of Portlaoise also found nothing. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí appealed for anyone with information on the murder to contact Portlaoise Garda station or the Garda Confidential Line. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationTwo women and a man were arrested in connection with the investigation on 30 March 2026 (garda.ie)
- investigationThe three arrested individuals were released without charge (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí are appealing for information from the community (garda.ie)
- investigationThe investigation into the murder is ongoing (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí in Portlaoise are investigating the murder of William Delaney (garda.ie)
- investigationThe three are detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí continue to appeal to the community for information (garda.ie)
- investigationPortlaoise Gardaí arrested a further three people, two women and a man, in connection with the investigation. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- investigationThe three people are detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 at Garda stations in the Midland and South Western regions. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- investigationThese arrests follow three arrests in November 2025, after which the people arrested were released without charge. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- investigationEarlier arrests were made in 2019, but nobody was charged. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- investigationGardaí in Portlaoise arrested a further three people, two women and a man, in the murder investigation. (kildarenow.com)
- investigationThese arrests follow three arrests in November 2025, after which the people were released without charge. (kildarenow.com)
- investigationA search near the Rock of Dunamase found no remains, and earlier arrests were made but nobody was charged. (kildarenow.com)
- investigationA search of bogland at Kyletalesha was carried out in August 2023. (kildarenow.com)
- investigationA search around the Rock of Dunamase found no remains. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- investigationA search of bogland at Kyletalesha in August 2023 found no remains. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- investigationThree people were arrested in November 2025 and released without charge. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- investigationGardaí believe people in the community have information that has not yet been passed on. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- otherWilliam Delaney left Portlaoise Hospital on the morning he vanished, where he had been receiving treatment. (offalyexpress.ie)
- otherWilliam Delaney collected his welfare payments at Portlaoise Post Office after leaving the hospital. (offalyexpress.ie)
- otherDelaney's disappearance was not reported to gardaí for six weeks. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe three people arrested are detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939. (kildarenow.com)
- otherThree people arrested in connection with the murder were released from custody. (leinsterexpress.ie)
- otherTwo women and a man arrested on the morning of 30 March 2026 were released without charge. (leinsterexpress.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 30 Mar2026Three released in Portlaoise murder probe
Two women in their 20s and 30s and a man in his 30s were arrested on 30 March 2026 and released without charge. These arrests follow an earlier arrest of three people in November 2025, who were also released without charge.
victim, William Delaney, 56, irish (judged from name)William Delaneysuspect, 20s, femalesuspect, 30s, femalesuspect, 30s, male - 30 Mar2026BREAKING: Gardaí arrest three people over murder of man last seen in Kildare
Three further arrests in the murder investigation of William Delaney, following three arrests in November 2025 for which no charges followed. The article gives no date for the killing and does not name the three arrested people.
victim, William Delaney, 56, male, irish (judged from name)William Delaneysuspect, 20s, femalesuspect, 30s, femalesuspect, 30s, male - 30 Mar2026BREAKING: Portlaoise Gardaí arrest three people over murder
Reports three further arrests in the Delaney murder investigation, following three arrests in November 2025 that ended without charge. Gardaí appeal for information.
victim, William Delaney, 56, male, irish (judged from name)William Delaneysuspect, femalesuspect, femalesuspect, 30s, male - 1 Mar2026Update 8: Investigation into the Murder of William Delaney, Portlaoise, 2019.
Update 8: three further arrests (two women and a man) made in the ongoing investigation; all detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 at Garda stations in the Midland and South Western regions.
victim, William Delaney, irish (judged from name)William Delaneysuspect, 20s, femalesuspect, 30s, femalesuspect, 30s, male - 1 Mar2026Update 9: Investigation into the Murder of William Delaney, Portlaoise, 2019
Update 9 on the investigation. Three people (two women and a man) were arrested on 30 March 2026 and released without charge. Gardaí renew their appeal for information.
victim, William Delaney, male, irish (judged from name)William Delaneysuspect, 20s, femalesuspect, 30s, femalesuspect, 30s, male - 26 Nov2025Gardaí believe father of eight was murdered and his remains dumped in makeshift grave
Reports that three people arrested for questioning were released without charge on Tuesday, and that the investigation has detained six people since 2019. Adds the investigation history, failed searches in 2019 and 2021, and the appeal for information.
victim, William Delaney, 56, male, irish (judged from name)William Delaneysuspect, 30s, femalesuspect, 50s, femalesuspect, 30s, malesuspect, 20s, malesuspect, teens, female - 26 Aug2023Garda search underway on bogland near landfill in the Midlands for man missing for over four years
Reports a Garda search of bogland at Kyletalesha near Portlaoise, the search location, and that the search has ended. Gives the murder investigation context and the last sighting and missing-person report dates.
victim, William Delaney, 56, male, irish (judged from name)William Delaney