A Garda superintendent told an inquest yesterday that it was a source of annoyance and regret that they had been unable to establish the full facts surrounding the death of a young Co Mayo man in a car crash following a 21st birthday party last September.
Supt Pádraig O'Toole told the inquest in Castlebar into the death of Pearse Walsh (22), Carravilla, Hollymount, that despite interviewing most of the young people who had attended the house party on September 11th, the cause of the crash or the circumstances leading up to it had not been ascertained.
The driver of the crash vehicle, James Sheridan, also from Carravilla, Hollymount, told the inquest he had no recollection of the impact and could not remember what caused it.
A six-person jury recorded an open verdict following advice from John O'Dwyer, coroner for Mayo south, that there was a "major gap in knowledge and information".
The case could be re-examined at some stage in the future if more information became available, Mr O'Dwyer said.
It was unfortunate that those with information did not have an adequate recollection and that was not just Mr Sheridan, the coroner said.
The inquest heard that such was the force of the impact the engine and gearbox were ripped from Mr Sheridan's Ford Mondeo. The vehicle was a "total wreck" afterwards.