State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy has carried out a postmortem on the exhumed remains of an unidentified woman who washed up on a beach in Co Wexford 12 years ago.
The skeletal remains were exhumed yesterday morning to allow for further examinations to be carried out and for DNA samples to be taken in an effort to identify the woman.
Supt John Roche said the operation to exhume the remains began at 6am yesterday morning at Crosstown Cemetery, just outside Wexford town. Wexford Borough Council staff reopened the grave and Prof Cassidy carried out her initial examinations on site. The remains were then transferred to the State Pathologist's laboratory in Marino, Dublin.
Supt Roche said members of the Garda's forensic team and environmental health officers were also present during the exhumation, as was Wexford parish administrator Fr Jim Fegan.
"Everything was carried out with due respect for the deceased," said Supt Roche. "A postmortem examination will be carried out at the State Pathologist's laboratory and DNA samples will be taken for further analysis and comparison."
He said the DNA samples would be processed as "expeditiously as possible".
The exhumation order was made on foot of a request from the coroner for north Wexford, Dr Seán Nixon, following an application from the Garda that the body be exhumed to enable samples be taken for the purpose of DNA comparison.
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan authorised the exhumation following representations to him from families who feel that the unidentified woman could possibly be one of their missing loved ones.
A Garda liaison officer informed these families on Tuesday of the exhumation and Supt Roche said the liaison officer would also keep them informed of developments.
The unidentified woman's skeletal remains were found on Ballinamona beach on December 12th, 1995. A postmortem was carried out the following January, but no identification was made. She was buried at Crosstown Cemetery in May 1996.
The family of Priscilla Clarke (25), whose body has not been recovered since she went missing in an apparent double drowning tragedy while out riding at Powerscourt, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, in 1988, believes they may be her unidentified remains.
The family of Imelda Keenan (22), Mountmellick, Co Laois, who has been missing since January 1994, also wrote to Mr Lenihan and requested that the DNA samples be taken from the unidentified remains.
Ms Keenan had been staying in rented accommodation at Lombard Street, Waterford, at the time she went missing.