Two male drowning victims among Christmas fatalities

Three men have been killed on the Republic's roads since Christmas Eve, and gardaí are still seeking help in identifying the bodies of two others who were taken from near the East Pier in Dún Laoghaire and from the sea at Dublin Port on Sunday.

At about 3.45 a.m. on Christmas Eve, a male pedestrian was killed when he was struck by a car at Aghavilla, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan. He was Michael Murphy of Keady, Co Armagh.

In a second road fatality at about 3 a.m. on Christmas morning a man was killed when his car struck an ESB pole at Castleknock, Co Dublin. Two other men in the car were being treated at James Connolly Memorial Hospital yesterday. The dead man has not been named.

Gardaí have named a 32-year-old man who died in a crash at Dooard, Rossinver, Co Leitrim, yesterday morning. He was Mr Paul Goodwin, Elm Gardens, Ballytivnan, Sligo, the sole occupant of the car.

Gardaí at Store street, Dublin, have appealed for help in identifying the body of a man aged in his late 40s or early 50s which was found at 3.45 p.m. last Sunday, December 22nd, by the crew of a ship entering Dublin Port. The body was floating in the bay in the main shipping channel and was removed by the Garda water unit to the City Morgue.

He is described as weighing 15 to 16 stone, with grey hair and slightly stocky build. He was wearing a green sweatshirt with a Lyons Tea logo, grey trousers and black size 43 shoes. Anyone with information is asked to contact gardaí at Store Street 01-6668000.

Meanwhile gardaí are seeking assistance in establishing the identity of a man whose body was recovered from rocks near the East Pier, Dun Laoghaire, on Sunday last at 5 p.m.

The man is described as aged in his late 30s or early 40s, five feet seven inches tall and of slim build with fair/ginger hair. He was wearing a dark blue jumper, blue shirt with a white check pattern and beige trousers. He had black size 41 moccasin-type shoes with laces and heavy rubber soles.