Tributes to the four fishermen who lost their lives off the Connemara coast were paid at a special church service in Carna, Co Galway, last night following a day-long search for the missing skipper of the vessel, St Oliver.
Hundreds of people attended the memorial Mass in the church to hear Father Peadar Ó Conghaile pray for the fishermen's souls, for the families they had left behind and for the quick recovery of the body of Mr John Dirrane, the skipper and owner who has been missing since Friday night.
The bodies of his three crewmates - Mr Michael Faherty, Mr Josie Connolly and Mr Michael Mullin - were recovered at the weekend, and Mr Faherty's funeral took place yesterday, while the funerals of Mr Connolly and Mr Mullin will take place today.
Father Ó Conghaile said that he wished to provide a focus for the enormous sense of grief and loss among the west Connemara and Aran Island communities, since the trawler's sinking on a reef off Duck Island, some 15 miles south-east of Slyne Head, late on Friday night.
Even as unanswered questions remained about the tragedy, now was a time for reflection and prayer, he said.
Earlier yesterday, Mrs Carmel Faherty, widow of Mr Michael Faherty, appealed to all fishermen to wear life-jackets going to sea, during the funeral of her husband at Barna church.
Mrs Faherty, who is expecting the couple's first child, issued her appeal through Father Seán Ó Cathain, parish priest of Barna, after prayers had been said for all four crewmen and for the recovery of Mr Dirrane's body.
Father Ó Cathain is a native of the Aran Islands, where both Mr Faherty and his close friend, fellow fisherman and former business partner Mr John Dirrane were from. Scores of volunteers joined Irish Coast Guard, Naval Service and Aran and Clifden lifeboat personnel in the continued search yesterday, which was hampered by heavy seas and continuous westerly gales.
Despite the conditions Naval Service divers searched the wreck area south-east of Duck Island for about three hours yesterday evening.
Garda divers are due to join the Naval Service team today to continue the sea search.
An aerial search was also undertaken by the Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky helicopter from Shannon along a 40-mile stretch of shoreline from Rossaveal to Roundstone, which is studded with many rocks, reefs and small islands.
