A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after human remains were discovered near the farm of missing Irish farmer Michael Gaine.
Irish police have arrested a man in his 50s in connection with the disappearance of Michael Gaine, a livestock farmer from County Kerry.
The arrest follows the discovery of partial human remains in a slurry tank near Mr Gaine’s property, more than eight weeks after he was reported missing.
Gardaí confirmed on Saturday 18 May that forensic analysis would be carried out to confirm the identity of the remains.
The 56-year-old was last seen on 20 March, and was reported missing the following day from his home in Carrig East, a remote area near the scenic Molls Gap.
The case was initially treated as a missing persons inquiry, but was reclassified as a homicide investigation on 29 April.
The suspect is currently in custody as officers continue detailed searches and technical examinations at the site near Mr Gaine’s farm.
Last month, Mr Gaine’s wife, Janice, described her husband’s disappearance as “totally out of character”, telling Irish broadcaster RTÉ: “He loved his home, he loved his farm, he loved animals.”
The community in Kenmare has been left in shock. Michael Healy-Rae, Independent TD for Kerry, said the town was struggling to come to terms with the situation.
“We want to know, and the family want to know,” he told RTÉ. “Mike was a very respectable, hardworking, genuine man, a great community person and a person that everybody liked.
"To think that somebody would have this type of event happen to them, we're all horrified. We're upset. It is not something that we're used to in any part of Ireland.
"But in this locality, we never had a situation like this before.”
Gardaí said further updates would follow as the investigation progresses.
