Clare County Council has solved the mystery over the disappearance of a 4.6 metre (15ft) long whale from a beach in Liscannor.
It confirmed yesterday it removed the “badly decomposed whale” from the beach “due to serious public health concerns”.
The whale, thought to be a narwhal, a species usually found in Arctic waters, ended up at a rendering plant in Derry.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group had appealed earlier this week for information relating to the removal of the whale.
It had not been able to identify it as it had been removed. A Shannon man had reported seeing it with its distinctive tusk protruding from its head.
A council spokeswoman said the contractors taking the whale for rendering did not see any tusk on the remains that were removed last week, but the carcass was already badly decomposed.
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