Gardai in Cork are treating as murder the death of a single man in his 20s whose body was discovered near a remote walkway in the city.
The dead man has been named as Mr Derek O'Connell ( 27), from Ascension Heights, Knocknaheeny, Cork.
A group of teenage girls who were out walking spotted the man's body near Blackrock Castle in the south side of the city between 6.30 p.m and 7 p.m on Sunday.
The area was sealed off for examination and a forensic examination was carried out by members of the Garda Technical Bureau.
Casts of footprints found in the vicinity of the body were also taken, while gardaí carried out a search of the vacant castle and land surrounding it.
A deeply shocked sister of Mr O'Connell arrived at the scene yesterday and was brought up to date by gardaí.
Gardaí have started to conduct house-to-house inquiries to determine what happened to him. He was last seen alive in the Mahon area on Sunday afternoon. Gardaí are appealing to the public for assistance as they piece together the dead man's final movements.
It is thought Mr O'Connell may have been living in Blackrock/ Mahon for the last few weeks. Local resident Mr Paddy Cummins said the area where Mr O'Connell died was a secluded spot.
"It is a place where no one would venture out at night. There's no lighting or anything down there. The slip is dangerous. We are shocked at the idea of a murder investigation. This is a very quiet area. You never see any trouble around here. It is terrible."
It is believed the scene of Mr O'Connell's death has become a meeting point for young people in recent weeks.
The body was removed to Cork University Hospital yesterday after the deputy state pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, completed a preliminary examination. A full autopsy took place at the hospital yesterday.
It is understood the body had a number of visible injuries to the torso and head. Gardaí initially treated the death as highly suspicious because the man's head had severe injuries which were not consistent with a fall.
Supt Kieran McGann has urged members of the public who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the Mahon/Blackrock area on Sunday to contact their local station. "Anyone who say anything in the area of Blackrock Castle on Sunday should come forward or contact us at 021 452 2000."