BREAKING: Three arrested in connection with murder of Portlaoise man

Gardaí in Portlaoise investigating the murder of William Delaney, who went missing in January 2019, have arrested three people.

Two women, aged in their 30s and 50s, and a man, aged in his 30s, have been arrested in connection with the investigation. They are currently being detained pursuant to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, at Garda Stations in the Midland and South Western regions.

In a statement on Monday afternoon, November 24 Gardaí said: "Investigations are ongoing".

William Delaney was last seen on January 30, 2019

William Delaney, was aged 56, when he went missing on Wednesday, January 30, 2019.

He was a Tipperary native who lived in Fielbrook, Portlaoise where he had a large family. On the morning of 30th January, 2019 William left Portlaoise General Hospital where he had been a patient. Gardaí have established that William collected his welfare payment at Portlaoise Post Office after leaving the hospital.

William was last seen at approximately 3pm on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 30, 2019 in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare where he called to visit a relative who lived in the area. The relation wasn’t at home but William was seen outside the premises which is situated on the old Cork-Dublin Road directly opposite a local landmark known as the Hazel Hotel.
William was then reported missing by his family on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.

In June 2019, Gardaí received information that William Delaney had been killed and that his body had been buried at a location in Laois. Gardaí said a comprehensive search was conducted in the area surrounding the Rock of Dunamase but no remains were discovered. Arrests were made at the time, but nobody was charged.

Another search was carried out in bogland at Kyletalesha in August 2023 off the N80 on the Portlaoise to Mountmellick Road near the Laois County Council Kyletalesha landfill.