Tributes have been paid for a man in his 60s who drowned while swimming off the coast of Wicklow this weekend.
The body of the man was recovered from the sea at Bray beach on Sunday about 8.30am.
The man has been named locally as Ciarán Megannety, from Bray, Co Wicklow. He is believed to have been a member of Bray Sea Swimmers.
Emergency services, including a rescue helicopter, attended the scene following reports of a swimmer in difficulty. It is understood he got caught in a riptide while out swimming.
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Passersby and emergency services managed to get the local man out of the water, and CPR was carried out but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The Bray man’s body has taken from the scene to St Columcille’s Hospital in Loughlinstown where a post-mortem will take place, a garda spokesman confirmed.
Scores of members of Bray Sea Swimmers have paid tribute to Mr Megannety on their social media platforms.
One member said: “A special thought for those involved in Ciaran’s rescue this morning. It’s not easy to lie down and sleep with your heart hurting and your head replaying scenes of harrowing moments.
Another friend added: “Beautiful tribute to a beautiful man. Thank you for all the smiles, you touched so many people with your joy for life Rip Ciaran,” while another continued: “Ciarán absolutely loved the sea and the community down there, he really will be so missed”.