Man still held after body of Adrian Folan found in quarry

Gardaí in Galway are still questioning a man today in relation to the discovery of a the body of a 41-year-old man in Co Clare yesterday.

The body has been identified as that of Adrian Folan, a postgraduate student and computer programmer from Connemara who had been missing since late last week.

Mr Folan, originally from the Carraroe area of south Connemara, was completing an MSc in software engineering at Athlone Institute of Technology.

He graduated with first class honours in commerce from NUI Galway.

He was described by close friends yesterday as very talented and skilled in information and computer technology, and a popular and easy-going man. He was one of several instigators of the highly successful locallotto.ie initiative which facilitates fundraising by GAA clubs and other groups.

He worked in The Quays bar in Galway city, after graduation, and had moved to Athlone for the one-year postgraduate programme which was run by ICT Ireland in consultation with software multinational Ericsson.

He was last seen at about 11.40pm in Athlone last Thursday night and the alarm was raised last Friday when he failed to appear in college.

Mr Folan’s body was discovered in a quarry near the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare yesterday morning, following a search by gardaí. The quarry was sealed off for forensic examination by Garda crime scene investigators.

A post mortem was due to be carried out by State pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick.

A man in his forties was arrested in Galway early yesterday morning in connection with Mr Folan’s disappearance, and was detained under section 4 of the 1984 Criminal Justice Act.

This allows for a minimum total detention period of 24 hours.

A house in the village of Carraroe was also sealed off as part of the investigation.

Gardaí have appealed for witnesses who may have seen anything unusual or suspicious in and around the quarry at Kilconnell, Liscannor, Co Clare since last Thursday, or to any member of the public who may be able to assist with the investigation into Mr Folan’s disappearance, to contact the incident room at Ennistymon Garda Station on tel (065)7072180, the Garda confidential telephone line at 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.