Kenneth O’Brien has been described as a quiet, friendly man who worked hard and cared for his family.
As details of the 33-year-old slowly emerge, it is not the typical profile of a murder victim and only deepens the mystery surrounding a possible motive for his killing.
His torso was found in a suitcase in the Grand Canal, Co Kildare, on Saturday.
He had lived in a small corner house opposite a green area in a Clondalkin housing estate for about seven years with his partner and young son.
Neighbours, clearly shocked by his violent death, said he was commonly seen coming and going but that nobody knew him that well – typical enough for an area where neighbours said nobody really interacted much.
Most recently, he is thought to have been working as a car mechanic but has also been described as a driver of JCBs and a diesel fitter.
He grew up in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. He had gone to work in Australia for an unknown amount of time before returning to Ireland last month.
“He was a very, very quiet man, and a really lovely family to be honest with you. But there is nothing more we can say about him. A good neighbour to have,” said one woman who asked not to be identified and whose children played with Mr O’Brien’s son outside their homes.
Polite
Another recalled speaking to him on one occasion when he called in to borrow a grass strimmer. She described him as being friendly, polite and well spoken but that he did not really engage in much conversation.
“He lived there for about seven years before he went to Australia,” said another.
“The last time I saw him he was leaving the house on Thursday. He was one of these fellas who keeps to himself and never really said much.”
Nor had Mr O’Brien come to the attention of gardaí in any significant way outside of a few traffic violations.
Supt Gerry Wall, in a briefing at Leixlip Garda station, said Mr O'Brien was "a very normal man going about his business, pursuing his employment, trying to get some work".
