Skeletal remains of man found in gravel bag in scrubland in Cork, murder trial hears

Olivia Kelleher

The skeletal remains of a man who had been badly beaten and attacked with a hammer-type weapon were found in a large gravel bag in scrubland in Co Cork, close to five months after he was last seen, a murder trial has heard.

Niall Long, 33, formerly of St Michael’s Close, Mahon, Cork, and Luke Taylor, 27, previously of Cherry Lawn, Blackrock, Cork are charged with the murder of Kieran Quilligan.

Both men have gone on trial at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork, having denied murdering the 47-year-old.

Prosecution senior counsel, Donal O’Sullivan, said that the case of the state is that the men killed Mr Quilligan in a “joint enterprise".

Mr O’Sullivan stated that the prosecution could not say which of the two men carried out the “killer blow or blows.”

Mr O’Sullivan said that the jury would hear that Mr Quilligan was a drug user and dealer, and that Mr Long was a drug user and may also have been a drug dealer.

Kieran Quilligan was living with his partner in Simon Community housing in Cork city when he was last seen on September 1st, 2023. He was from Togher and Knocknaheeny in Cork city.

It is alleged by the State that that morning he was with a man called John Paul Thornton, who has the nickname Bubbles.

Mr O’Sullivan said the men met one of the accused men, Niall Long, on a side street off York Street in Cork city and robbed and assaulted him. Mr O’Sullivan said that it appears that this incident was “an instigating factor” in relation to what allegedly occurred later.

Mr O’Sullivan said that Luke Taylor was with Kieran Quilligan in the latter’s apartment later that day. He said the men later left the apartment and were captured on CCTV going along the quays from the South Gate Bridge in Cork city. They walked up the steps of St Finbarr’s Place.

“Mr Quilligan and Mr Taylor went up that lane. Two people (living in a house) heard a violent altercation at the top of the lane and called the guards.”

He said that a white Toyota car registered to Mr Long’s mother was reversed into the top of Dean Street, which is located at the top of St Finbarr’s Place.

“At 9.05pm a car reverses its boot facing down the lane. Neither Kieran Quilligan nor Luke Taylor are seen at the top of that lane. The car is tracked going to a location in Little Island.

"Luke Taylor is dropped off at an address in Jacob’s Island. Kieran Quilligan is never seen alive again. The last time he was seen was at around 9pm.”

Mr O’Sullivan said Mr Quilligan failed to collect his social welfare money. He reported missing by his partner. A missing persons investigation commenced.

It is further alleged by the state that on September 4th, 2023, Luke Taylor was picked up at a hotel in Cork by a person driving a white Toyota. The vehicle was driven around areas in East Cork.

Gardai harvested CCTV footage and found that the car was driven to a section of road on a sweeping bend in scrubland in Rostellan.

Mr O’Sullivan said that a cadaver dog was brought to the area on January 29th, 2024.

“It was a wet and damp place. Not the sort of place anyone would walk. Some what covered under there was a gravel bag. In another gravel bag under there was the skeletal human remains of Kieran Quilligan.”

The jury were told that a post-mortem examination was carried out by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

“There were a large number of skeletal injuries. He (Mr Quilligan) met his end in a violent manner."

Dr Bolster was not able to determine the exact cause of death.

Mr O’Sullivan said that gardaí searched the home of Niall Long and seized a car from the property on September 15th, 2023.

A bucket and cleaning products were also analysed, and blood was found. It was a match for the late Kieran Quilligan.

Meanwhile, the trial also heard evidence from Dion Carey, a former resident of St Finbarr’s Place. She recalled hearing loud noises and the voices of three or four men on the lane at around 9.15pm on September 1st, 2023.

Evidence was also given by John Paul Thornton, who told the jury of ten men and two women that he had robbed and “dragged” a man in the area of York Street on the morning of September 1st, 2023.

He said that he and Kieran Quilligan were short a small amount of money for drugs. He acknowledged that he was the main mover in the robbery and assault, which he carried out with Mr Quilligan.

Colette O’Driscoll, the long-term partner of Mr Quilligan, said that she reported him missing to gardaí three days after he was last seen.

At one point during that time, she said she met Mr Taylor on the street and he told her he last saw Kieran Quilligan on Morrison’s Island in Cork city.

The case will continue on Thursday in front of the jury of ten men and two women, and Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford.