At least four investigations will be carried out into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and death of former champion jockey Mr Georgie Wells (81).
Mr Wells, who was a patient with pneumonia at the James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown, was reported missing at 8.20 p.m. on Friday. After an extensive search afternoon. He was wearing his pyjamas.
A Northern Area Health Board spokeswoman said both the board and the hospital would be carrying out their own investigations, as well as commissioning an independent inquiry. The Garda is also investigating "exactly what happened from the moment Mr Wells was reported missing until his body was recovered on Monday".
Supt Michael Roche of Blanchardstown said gardai searched the hospital grounds on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Then they "moved in" to join hospital staff in their search of the buildings.
"We were informed of an extensive network of underground tunnels by some men who were doing contract work there."
He said the tunnels were "quite a drop down, with a ladder into them, and complete blackness". Mr Wells had gone "about 80 yards" into a tunnel.
The results of yesterday's post-mortem by the assistant State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, would be available "in the next few days", he said.
Mr Wells, who was born in the north of England in 1919, was the British champion apprentice jockey in 1938. He joined the stables of Mr Hubert Hartigan in Ireland in 1939 and the following year he won the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on a horse called Teasel.
In 1941 he won the Irish 1,000 Guineas on M'lady Rose and the Irish Derby on Sol Oriens.
He trained Umm, the 1955 winner of both the Irish Grand National and the Galway Plate, and King's Sprite, winner of the Irish Grand National in 1970.
Mr Wells lived in Clonee, Co Meath, and is survived by his widow, Elsie, daughter Suzanne, son-in-law Conor and grandchildren Georgina and Ryan.
