Patrick Nugent (23) was working as banqueting manager at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in Co Clare when he was found dead at the tourist spot on February 11, 1984.
His family believe he was killed and the truth covered up, but no one was ever convicted in connection with his death.
A cold case inquiry was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in 2022 after a report, understood to have been critical of the initial garda inquiry, was given to Justice Minister Helen McEntee by retired Judge Patrick Clyne.
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After consulting with the Attorney General, Ms McEntee decided not to publish the report so it could not prejudice any further investigation.
In a statement, solicitor Kevin Winters of KRW Law said the exhumation would take place at the family grave in Co Clare.
Mr Winters said the family had been “fighting over 40 years for justice for Patrick” and had “displayed remarkable patience with the legal and investigative system”.
Mr Nugent was working at the 40th wedding anniversary of William and Chrissie Ryan when he died.
William Ryan was well-known in the area and worked as head chef for Aer Rianta in Shannon Airport.
The party, in a building known as “The Barn” on the folk park grounds, was attended by around 60 guests.
At around 4am, Mr Nugent assisted Mr Ryan in bringing gifts out to Mr Ryan’s car which was parked in the courtyard outside.
A short time later, guests still in the function room heard noise outside.
They saw Mr Nugent lying at the entrance of the building. He had received injuries, from which he later died.
Mr Ryan, who is now deceased, was charged with manslaughter but acquitted. It emerged at his trial he gave three different statements to gardaí.
Two off-duty gardaí had been at the party.
An inquest found that Mr Nugent was struck by a person or persons unknown, causing him to fall to the ground and that the car owned by Mr Ryan accidentally hit him, causing internal injuries. The inquest called for further investigation into the death.
The case was subject to an independent review mechanism in 2014, which recommended the justice minister order an inquiry into the garda handling of the case.
Mr Nugent’s family, which had been seeking a public inquiry, was asked to respect the confidentiality of Judge Clyne’s findings.
The statement issued by Mr Winters quoted Mr Nugent’s brothers John and Martin as saying they initially had misgivings about the new investigation, but now wanted to put on record their appreciation of the work gardaí had undertaken in recent years.
“They have been proactive in their oversight and have kept us included at all stages of the investigation. That is especially the case with the exhumation of Patrick,” the brothers said.
“Our decision to agree to this unusual and unique step wasn’t taken lightly. It’s really very poignant for us as a family to experience the disinterment of our brother’s remains, especially given the proximity of the grave to our family home.
“We accept that it’s for the best if the results can shed some additional light on what we already know.
“We have worked very closely with gardaí and our solicitors on the complicated logistics involved in organising this exhumation. Having agreed to go through with it, we are all quietly hopeful that we might just get a breakthrough.”
