Body found in Galway was woman missing from Northern Ireland

A body discovered washed up on the coast in Co Galway on Tuesday is now believed to be that of a 22-year-old woman reported missing in Northern Ireland.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had expressed concern for the welfare of Laura Vizgirdaite, originally from Lithuania, who was last seen in Dungannon on Sunday 12th September. Officers from the Mid Ulster Policing District had said they believed Laura may have made her way to County Clare.

It’s now understood that Ms Vizgirdaite arrived at the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare on the evening of Wednesday, September 15th and that her car was located the following morning. After CCTV footage was checked, it was established that a person, believed to be a woman, had parked the car there.

On Friday, the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter carried out a comprehensive search of the coastline, cliff tops and adjacent lands in an effort to locate the person.

Rescue 115 returned to the area on Saturday and undertook a further search concentrating between Doolin to the north and Hags head at the southern end of the Cliffs of Moher.

On Tuesday, the body of a woman was discovered washed up on the shoreline at Doorus, near Kinvara and south Galway.

Gardaí and units of Galway Fire and Rescue Service from Gort station made their way to the scene and recovered the body from the shore.

The office of the State Pathologist was notified and requested to conduct a post-mortem examination of the remains. Gardaí said at the time that the outcome of that examination would determine the course of their investigation.

Gardaí later said that foul play was not suspected in the death while it was also confirmed that the body was that of the missing 22-year-old from Northern Ireland.