Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 3338Death under investigation · Co. Galway · 17 Apr 2002

Unidentified man's skull found in sleeping bag at derelict house in Salthill, Galway

A man's skull and remains were discovered buried in a sleeping bag at a derelict property in Upper Salthill, Galway, on 17 April 2002. The man, known locally as 'Dave the Busker' or 'Tang,' remains unidentified 24 years later, with a post-mortem concluding he died of natural causes.

  1. Reported16 Apr
  2. Arrested
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
16 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA man's skull was found wrapped in a sleeping bag and fastened with a nylon rope, buried at a derelict house in Upper Salthill. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe sleeping bag also contained clothes, hair ties, boots and jewellery. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatA property developer made the discovery while clearing out an abandoned bungalow. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatA shallow grave was located nearby where the body of the unidentified man was exhumed. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe skull was found at a derelict property in Upper Salthill, Galway. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe skull was discovered on 17 April 2002. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenGardaí determined the man most likely arrived in Galway around 1998 and vanished from the city's streets by 1999. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeA post-mortem examination concluded the man died of natural causes. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man was recognised within Galway circles as 'Dave the Busker' or 'Tang'. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man is believed to have spent time across counties Limerick, Kerry and Clare before heading to Galway around August 1998. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherGardaí suggested the burial may have been carried out by fellow squatters and associates who were potentially unaware it was against the law. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man carried a notebook containing contacts that was never found. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man spoke with a distinctive English accent and claimed to originate from Kent. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man is believed to have come from the Tunbridge Wells area of Kent and had a sister. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherInvestigators suspect his sister may be living in Exeter, approximately 290kms from Tunbridge Wells. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherIt is possible that the man had been married. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 16 Apr2026
    Reportedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Gardai trying to identify man whose skull was found inside bag at derelict house

    Article marks 24 years since the discovery and details the ongoing identification effort, including the man's likely origins in Kent, England, and the possibility that fellow squatters carried out the burial.

    victim, male, English, non-irish