The body of a young man has been recovered from the base of a cliff in Co Clare.
The discovery was made this afternoon while a search was underway for a person seen falling from the Cliffs of Moher yesterday.
The initial search operation was mounted at around 4.00pm on Tuesday by watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub centre on Valentia Island in Kerry. Coast Guard volunteers based at Doolin station and local Gardaí were alerted.
The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter was also involved in the search after being diverted from another call.
It’s understood that a number of tourists saw the man fall from the cliff top.
A comprehensive search failed to locate the man although some personal belongings were recovered from the water before the search was stood down for the evening.
The search resumed early today and at around midday, a body was spotted on rocks at the base of the cliffs about 500 metres south of the visitor centre.
Coast Guard personnel launched their two rescue boats from Doolin while Rescue 115 was also dispatched to the scene.
In an operation that last almost an hour, the body was recovered and returned to the rescue boat before being transported back to the Coast Guard base in Doolin.
The man was formally pronounced dead before his body was removed by hearse to University Hospital Limerick where formal identification and a post-mortem examination will take place.
The man is believed to be in his 20s and from Co Galway.
A Garda spokesman confirmed they are treating the death as a ‘personal tragedy’ and that an investigation will be carried out with a view to preparing a file for the county coroner.