Ireland

Body found off Aran Islands in search for two women on west coast

Body discovered at Inisheer is believed to be that of a woman (45) missing from Cork for almost a week

A body found off the Aran Islands has been taken to University Hospital Galway for identification and a postmortem. Photograph: The Irish Times
A body found off the Aran Islands has been taken to University Hospital Galway for identification and a postmortem. Photograph: The Irish Times
John Fallon
Sat Nov 16 2024 - 14:53

Rescuers searching for two women missing off the west coast have found a body.

The discovery was made on Saturday morning off Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands, and the body has been taken to University Hospital Galway for identification and a postmortem.

The body is believed to be that of a woman (45) missing from Cork for almost a week. The woman’s car was found on Tuesday in Liscannor, Co Clare. Search parties looking for the woman along the Co Clare coast have been stood down.

More than 500 volunteers are continuing to search with multi-agency crews for Máire Ní Fhátharta (32) from Spiddal. She went missing after going for a swim at Silverstrand near Barna in Co Galway on Tuesday.

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The body of another swimmer, songwriter Johnny Duhan (74), was found in the water at Rusheen Bay a few hours after he was reported missing after going for his daily swim. His funeral took place in east Co Galway on Friday. Gardaí believe dense fog may have been a factor in the double tragedy on Tuesday.

The search for Ms Ní Fhátharta resumed at first light on Saturday, with hundreds of volunteers combing a 45km stretch of coastline from Renville to Inverin. Dozens of boats, paddleboards and kayaks have been taking part.