The body of the missing Aran Island skipper, John Dirrane, was found off the west Connemara coast yesterday by a local fishing vessel, bringing the seven-day search to an end.
Mr Dirrane, who was married with four children and in his late thirties, went missing a week ago when his 65-foot vessel, St Oliver, struck a reef off Duck Island, south of Mweenish Island near Carna in a south-westerly gale.
The bodies of three of his crew - Michael Sonny Faherty (41), originally from Inis Mor; Josie Connolly (66), from Leitir Ard; and Michael Mullin (18), from Cleggan - were recovered close to the wreckage last weekend.
Hopes of recovering Mr Dirrane were fading when his body was spotted on the sea bed close to Duck Island by a half-decker at about 3 p.m. yesterday..
Local divers were called in to assist, and Mr Dirrane was taken to University College Hospital, Galway, once he was identified.
The search for Mr Dirrane has involved hundreds of people, who left jobs and families on the Aran Islands and throughout Connemara over the past week to help, and drew together the Irish Coast Guard helicopters, its Costello Bay, Cleggan and Aran Island teams, the Air Corps, the RNLI Aran Island and Clifden lifeboats, the Naval Service, Garda and local divers. Several memorial Masses were held for the four fishermen, while the funerals of three of the crew have also taken place.
The St Oliver had been undergoing work at Mr Connolly's yard in Leitir Ard, and left for Rossaveal at about 7 p.m. last Friday evening.
The alert was raised at 9.40 p.m. when an emergency radio beacon was activated.
The crew had no time to issue a mayday or take to a liferaft. The Marine Casualty Investigation Board is examining the tragedy.
