Cape Clear ‘skull’ added to human remains database

IRELAND’S human remains database has a new addition – a skull found on Cape Clear Island.

It’s not your typical beachcomber’s find, but the person who found the partial skull on Trá Ciaran at Cape Clear’s North Harbour in December 2021 did the right thing and sent it for analysis.

Alas poor Yorick has a new home at the database, which was launched by the Department of Justice a year ago.

It brings to 46 the number of unidentified human remains that have been found in various locations, including Mizen Head, since 1968.

The human jaw bone found at the Mizen is believed to be that of a man. It too was given the DNA analysis treatment and a dental examination.

Coroners throughout the country are assisting in this identification process by returning details of any unidentified remains to the Department of Justice.

The establishment of the unidentified remains database follows on from the establishment, in 2015, of a National DNA Database.

This database contains DNA profiles from unidentified remains, missing persons, and relatives of missing persons.