'Now we have a place to visit Barry': Family tells inquest of their gratitude to those who found missing man's remains
At the inquest on Tuesday, Barry Coughlan's family paid tribute to An Garda Síochána, singling out two now retired officers for special mention, as well as the Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery team.
The family of a man whose skeletal remains were found in his submerged car 17 years after he disappeared have issued an emotional thank you to everyone who helped search for him over the years.
Barry Coughlan’s family told Tuesday’s inquest into his death in Cork in 2004 that all those people have given them something they had waited 17 long years for — a place to visit him now.
They issued their statement after the inquest heard detailed evidence about Mr Coughlan’s disappearance from Crosshaven, Co Cork, on April 30, 2004, about the extensive searches, and appeals for him over the years.
The inquest heard how in May 2021, members of the Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery Team were testing a new side-scanning sonar device and located his upturned car resting upside down on the bed of the Owenabue River, just a few metres off Hugh Coveney Pier, and just metres from where he was last seen.
His skeletal remains were found inside, bringing the family’s nightmare to an end.
The inquest found that Mr Coughlan died by drowning in the Owenabue River on April 30, 2004, and the coroner for south and west Cork, Frank O’Connell, returned a verdict of accidental death.
Kevin Smith read a statement on behalf of the Coughlan family, in which they expressed their heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in the searches for Barry over the years.
They singled out retired garda sergeant Ger O’Callaghan and retired garda Conor Fitzpatrick “for going above and beyond what was expected of them”.
“The support and kindness they have shown us has been incredible,” they said.
"They worked tirelessly and never left any stone unturned.
"They are a credit to An Garda Síochána.”
And they praised the Cork City Missing Persons Search and Recovery Unit for their efforts over the years. They said:
“We will never be able to thank you enough for giving us something we waited 17 long years for — now we have a place to visit Barry. This means so much to us.”
