THE only victim of the weekend fishing tragedy off Dunmore East to be found so far was buried yesterday. Mourners at the funeral of Mr Conor O'Grady (22) from Annestown, Co Waterford were told by one of the concelebrating priests, Father Stephen O'Brien, that Conor knew well the dangers of working at sea having lost a close friend three years ago in a fishing accident.
"He knew he belonged to a community who lived out of necessity on the raw edge of life, a community who have to face each day the dangers of weather, tides land nature itself," said Father O'Brien. Mr O'Grady, he added, had three passions in life, motorcycles, wild birds and the sea.
The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Fennor, was packed and hundreds of mourners paid their final tributes to the young fisherman, a crew member of the missing vessel, the Jenalisa. As well as his parents, brother and other relatives, many of Mr O'Grady's motorcycle enthusiast friends formed a guard of honour as the coffin left the church bound for his resting place in the nearby Dunhill cemetery.
Many of the congregation cried during the ceremony where the offertory gifts included a motor bike glove, a small buoy and a piece of fishing net.
Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent, writes:
The continuing search for two missing Waterford fishermen and their vessel, the Jenalisa, was suspended off Dunmore East last night due to bad weather. It is intended to resume as soon as conditions improve. A seabed search is to be conducted by the LE Aisling. The weather is forecast to deteriorate today with a force 6 to 7 east to north east wind expected for the next 24 hours which may be storm force southerly by tomorrow.
There was still no sign yesterday of the two missing men, Mr Peter Nolan (39), the owner and skipper of the Jenalisa, and Mr Niall Power (25), both of Dunmore East, as the search was narrowed down to an area four miles south of Brownstown Head. Nor has there been any sign of the vessel, which was last seen gill netting in Tramore Bay on Sunday.
The Naval Service patrol ship, LE Aisling, the Air Corps fishery patrol plane, and the Dunmore East and Kilmore Quay lifeboats took part in yesterday's effort which was co ordinated by the Irish Marine Emergency Service. The service's coast and cliff rescue units from Fethard, Dunmore East, Tramore and Kilmore Quay also participated.
The LE Aisling is to be equipped with a magnetometer, which was used in the Carrickatine operation off Donegal, and a seabed survey will begin as soon as conditions allow.