The State Pathologist has carried out a preliminary examination of a body which was found in what is believed to be a shallow grave on waste ground in Limerick city.
The discovery of the body, believed to be a male, was made by officers carrying out searches following two shootings in the city on Saturday, one of which left a 40-year-old man dead. The officers also found two guns and ammunition during today's searches.
Gardaí confirmed this evening that State pathologist Dr Marie Casssidy visited the scene at Caledonian Park in Limerick this afternoon and conducted a preliminary examination of the body.
The body remains at the scene and a full crime scene examination will take place at first light tomorrow.
Firearms found during the garda searches have been sent for technical examination.
Detectives in Roxboro Road station have appealed for information, and have asked anybody who was on the waste ground over the last 48 hours to come forward.
Today's developments follow the killing of a 40-year-old man in the city on Saturday, although no connection has been established.
Mark Moloney was walking through Garryowen and had stopped to talk to a man who was painting a house near Garryowen Stores when he was shot dead by a passenger of a black Toyota Celica.
The rival McCarthy/Dundon criminal gang are the chief suspects behind the killing, which took place in the middle of the day and despite the recent deployment of the Garda Emergency Response Unit to Limerick.
Last January Mr Moloney was lucky to escape serious injury when his 21-year-old nephew was injured in a shooting, which took place again in broad daylight near Colbert Station in Limerick city as both men were walking along Parnell Street.
Earlier on Saturday, a man escaped injury after a shooting at a house in O'Malley Park in Southill. Both the man and his partner were in bed when they heard a window smash downstairs. When he went to investigate a person with a handgun fired a shot at the him and then fired a second shot at the house while leaving. A 16-year-old boy was arrested and questioned at the weekend about the incident.
Fine Gael Justice Spokesman Charlie Flanagan TD has called for a new initiative to tackle crime including making gang membership a specific criminal offence and permanent surveillance of criminals.
Speaking ahead of a Fine Gael constituency meeting in Limerick tonight, Deputy Flanagan said “The right to life is the most basic of human rights. The State must use all resources available to stamp out gangland culture and gangland murders."
"We know from Garda intelligence that only a handful of families and individuals are involved in gangland. The Gardai must get all the resources they need to put the criminals out of business, including 24-hour monitoring and electronic surveillance. This was proposed four years ago by sections of the Gardai but has never been launched," he added.