A man in his 50s who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in Lough Hyne near Skibbereen in west Cork on Sunday has been named locally as Declan Newman.
Mr Newman, a father of two who ran a sign-writing business, was well known in the Skibbereen area and was a founding member of the Lough Hynes Lappers swimming club.
The club had fundraised for a defibrillator to be placed on the pier at Lough Hybe which was used by local swimmers in an attempt to resuscitate him.
The experienced swimmer is suspected to have had a heart attack while swimming with others.
While paramedics attended the scene on Sunday and carried out CPR, he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.
Many tributes have been paid to Mr Newman – known as Decky to his friends – for his work with the swimming club and a local soccer club.
Locals described him as a jovial and gregarious person who regularly helped out with community events.
He also served in a number of roles at Skibbereen AFC including chairman and coach.
