Gardaí have recovered equipment which may have been used to dismember the body of murder victim Kenneth O Brien.

The Irish Independent is reporting that a number of items were found when garda divers recovered a bag from the Royal Canal near Maynooth yesterday.

Meanwhile DNA results are expected later on several body parts taken from the Grand Canal near Sallins in Co Kildare.

Detectives believe the remains are those of murder victim Kenneth O'Brien.

The 33-year old's torso was found in the canal in Ardclough, about 8 kilometres away over a week ago.

Nicola Tallant, Investigations Editor with The Sunday World says the tests are regarded as a formality:

"And they've been taken away for examination overnight, for DNA sampling, and just to make sure pretty much that they belong to Mr O'Brien. As there is nobody else missing in such circumstances it would be highly unlikely that they are not his remains, but they just need to confirm that."