A body has been found on the Dingle peninsula by teams searching for a missing 80-year-old man.
Nieces and nephews of 80-year-old Tony Crickard, from west Belfast, were among the search teams that discovered his remains at the foot of Mount Brandon today.
He was last seen in Dingle on Friday afternoon and is thought to have walked 15 kilometres to the mountain, before hiking a further four kilometres miles into the foothills.
Search teams led by Dingle Coast Guard Unit discovered Mr Crickard's jumper and glasses at around 1pm in a steep area above the townland of Ballynavenooragh.
His body was found half an hour later in a nearby location that suggested he may have been seeking out shelter, according to Frank Heidtke, area officer with Dingle Coast Guard Unit. "It's a very unusual case, it doesn't fit any of the patterns we have seen in the past," he said.
Mr Heidtke said Mr Crickard was known as a strong walker and it wouldn't have been out of character for him to go on a long hike.
He disappeared a day after attending the funeral of his 20-year-old grand-nephew, Shane Crickard, who died last week in a crash near Causeway, Co Kerry.
A search operation was launched involving the Coast Guard, Kerry Mountain Rescue Team, Civil Defence, gardaí, helicopters, rescue dogs and members of the public.
The 80-person strong mission was winding down today with final searches in the Ballynavenooragh area when Mr Crickard's body was found.
Relatives of Mr Crickard, from Norfolk Parade, off the Glen Road in west Belfast, were among those in the search party.
A post mortem examination will be carried out on the body tomorrow.
PA