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Human remains identified as missing farmer Michael Gaine

An Garda Síochána A man with a brown and grey beard is looking into the camera. He is wearing a red t-shirt and grey baseball cap. In the background we can see a body of water and mountains.An Garda Síochána
Michael Gaine, 56, had been missing for more than eight weeks

Human remains found at farmland in County Kerry have been identified as being those of missing farmer Michael Gaine.

Mr Gaine, 56, had been missing for more than eight weeks and he was initially treated as a missing persons case before it was upgraded to a homicide.

The confirmation comes nine days after human tissue was discovered in fields on Mr Gaine's farm, near Kenmare.

The discovery led to the farmyard and several fields being sealed off and declared a crime scene.

Since then, the area has been searched by specialist teams, including members of the Garda (Irish police) Technical Bureau, assisted by local garda search teams and the Irish Defence Forces.

A man in his 50s, who was arrested last Sunday on suspicion of Mr Gaine's murder, was later released without charge.

He has denied any involvement in the farmer's disappearance.

On Sunday evening, gardaí confirmed the identification of Mr Gaine's remains in a statement.

They have further appealed to the public for assistance in this investigation.

PA Media A red and grey mini digger is removing pieces of grass from the ground. Around the digger a collection of people are watching, some are wearing camouflage clothing while others are dressed in navy. The land is cordoned off by a wire fence. At the edge of the land a vehicle is sitting. In the background is a row of mountains. PA Media
Irish Defence Forces members had assisted with the search

Mr Gaine, a sheep and cattle farmer, was reported missing from his home near Kenmare on 21 March.

He was last seen in the County Kerry town the previous day.

He lived in the remote Carrig East area, close the Molls Gap beauty spot, along the renowned Ring of Kerry.

Last month, Michael Gaine's wife Janice told Irish broadcaster RTÉ that he "loved his home, he loved his farm, he loved animals" adding that his disappearance was "totally out of character".

According to RTÉ, in-depth investigations by gardaí ruled out "innocent" explanations, such as a medical event, an accident, or that he left the area voluntarily.

A missing person's investigation operates on the basis of consent, but when gardaí announced the re-classification of their investigation, it meant the range of options in front of the investigation team significantly increased.

They could then get search warrants, clear areas of interest and seize and examine certain items like phones and laptops.