[caption id="attachment_69106" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Gardai near where the remains were found by walkers."]
Tests are to be carried out on skeletal remains that were found in the Dublin mountains at the weekend.
The human bones were found by walkers in an area known as Slieve na mBan Óg, in the hills above Tallaght, around noon on Sunday.
Gardai sealed off the scene and the remains were transferred to the city morgue for a post-mortem to determine the cause of death.
The Irish Independent reported Tuesday that gardai hope that dental records will confirm whether the remains are those of James Kenny McDonagh, who is believed to have been murdered more than a year ago.
Initial tests indicate that the remains belong to a man, aged between 20 and 30. Kenny McDonagh (28), went missing in October 2010. Gardai believe he fell foul of a criminal gang, led by a notorious figure operating in the west Dublin area.
Mr. Kenny McDonagh was not closely linked to any crime groups. Gardai fear that he was abducted, shot dead and his body dumped.
