Garda to exhume unidentified woman's body

Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan last night gave the go-ahead for the exhumation of the remains of an unidentified woman who was found washed up on a Co Wexford beach in 1995.

The skeletal remains, which are thought to be those of a woman aged 25-40, were found on Balinamona beach, Kilmuckridge, on December 12th, 1995, and were later buried in Crosstown cemetery near Wexford town.

A postmortem was carried out on the remains by the then State pathologist, Dr John Harbison, but no identification was made.

Gardaí yesterday asked acting coroner for North Wexford, Dr Seán M Nixon, for the body to be exhumed to allow samples to be taken for DNA tests.

Mr Lenihan authorised the move despite previous appeals being refused by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The exhumation order was made on foot of an application to Mr Lenihan from Garda authorities that the body be exhumed to enable samples to be taken for the purpose of DNA comparison.

The unidentified remains may be those of Priscilla Clarke, who went missing on May 3rd, 1988, at Powerscourt, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. In January, her family said they believed Ms Clarke could be buried in the grave at Crosstown cemetery, which contains the remains of three unidentified people.

The 25-year-old from Ardee, Co Louth, was out horse riding with Lynda Kavanagh, the American-born wife of Irish property tycoon and businessman Mark Kavanagh, at the time of her disappearance. She worked as childminder for the Kavanaghs.

Gardaí believe the two women were swept away in the flooded river Dargle as their horses were crossing the water after days of heavy rain. Ms Kavanagh's remains were found two days later after a massive search.

Ms Clarke's body was never recovered, and her family believe the Garda investigation effectively stopped days after Ms Kavanagh's remains were found.

The Clarke family, with the support from neighbours, continued their own search of the Dargle but it yielded nothing.