Cavan drowning victims named

The two men who died in a Co Cavan lake last night while trying to rescue a group of people whose boat had capsized have been…

The two men who died in a Co Cavan lake last night while trying to rescue a group of people whose boat had capsized have been named.

Simon Delaney (21) from Co Cavan and Matthew Gibbons (20) from Dublin, died while trying to rescue up to six people in a sinking boat in Gallon Lough, Co Cavan.

Mr Delaney, a GAA footballer from Killinkere in Virginia, and Mr Gibbons, from DeValera Place in the north inner city, drowned as Mr Gibbons' friends swam ashore.

Mr Gibbons had been visiting relatives in Ballyjamesduff when he went to a barbecue at the lake. It is understood a number of people in his group were jumping and swimming from a small boat when it took in water and began to sink at about 6.45pm.

Mr Gibbons swam out from the shore to help them but within minutes he got into difficulty.

Mr Delaney, a former GAA county minor goalkeeper, who was travelling to a match against Laragh Utd with teammate Anthony Brady (27), arrived on the scene and joined the rescue bid.

Mr Delaney's body was recovered a short while later by two local people who went out on the lake in another boat. A team of Garda divers recovered Mr Gibbons' body today.

It is understood lifejackets were found on the boat which was recovered by accident investigators.