A Garda search was continuing on the Aran island of Inishmore last night after a man's clothing was found near the sea cliffs at Dún Aonghasa fort yesterday.
The Garda helicopter, the Aran islands lifeboat and an Irish Coast Guard helicopter were also involved in the search in the vicinity of the 100 metre cliffs which mark the Atlantic perimeter of the Bronze Age national monument.
Gardaí would make no official comment on the details of the search, beyond appealing for information on the clothing.
However, the discovery was made just hours after a Galway man who had been involved in a stand-off at Dún Aonghasa fort ten days ago was seen again on the island.
The man had threatened to jump off the cliff on the evening of April 11th, after he had barricaded himself within the fort grounds. The Garda helicopter and extra gardaí were sent out to assist the island's resident sergeant.
The man agreed to leave the cliff area after five hours of negotiation. He was subsequently escorted to the mainland by ferry, and sent to St Brigid's Hospital in Balllinasloe, Co Galway, for medical attention.
Gardaí are keen to talk to the man in relation to the investigation into the death of a 23-year-old Clare woman in a caravan fire earlier this month on the Clare-Galway border.
The man was discharged from hospital, and returned to Inishmore on Wednesday of this week. Several eyewitnesses said that the clothing found at Dún Aonghasa resembled his apparel.
A Garda spokesman said they had no positive identification in relation to the owner of the clothing.
He said that anyone with information in relation to the clothing should contact Kilronan Garda station at (099) 61102.
Gardaí in Gort are still investigating the death of Emer O'Loughlin (23), the Ennistymon student whose body was found in a burnt-out caravan earlier this month. Ms O'Loughlin's body was discovered on April 8th in the townland of Ballybornagh, between Tubber and Kinvara, close to the Burren. It is understood that a mobile phone was found close to the scene during forensic examination of the area.
Ms O'Loughlin was studying at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, and had been living in the Ballybornagh area for a number of years. Last week, investigating gardaí appealed to taxi or hackney drivers who may have carried a male passenger from Galway city to the area on the morning of April 8th to contact them.