The report of a judicial inquiry into the death of a young man in Bunratty in 1984 is nearing completion, and is expected to be published in the coming months.
23-year-old Patrick Nugent lost his life in Bunratty Folk Park in 1984, and his family have campaigned for over thirty years to establish the truth of what happened.
Clare FM’s Gavin Grace reports
A banqueting manager from Sixmilebridge, Patrick Nugent had been working at a party in Bunratty in February 1984 before the incident which led to his death.
A pathologist found that his injuries were consistent with a crushing injury and being struck by a car, and that he had been in a crouching or lying position at the time.
His dying words were “He clocked me” and later, the jury at the inquest ruled that Patrick had been accidentally struck by a car after he had been struck by a person or persons unknown.
At a subsequent manslaughter trial, the driver of the car and now deceased chef William Ryan was acquitted of all charges.
The Nugent family have long campaigned for an inquiry which was finally established in 2015 and is investigating allegations of Garda misconduct and inadequacies in the investigations.
The process, however, has been long delayed, but is now nearing an end.
Responding to questions Deputy Michael McNamara, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has confirmed that she expects to receive the report within a fortnight.
Minister McEntee has also committed to publishing the report, following consultation with the Attorney General and the Nugent family.
