A post-mortem examination was being carried out yesterday evening on the bodies of an elderly couple from Cahirciveen, Co Kerry, who drowned on Thursday while on a fishing trip. The bodies of Mr Paddy O'Donoghue, a native of Cahir civeen, who was in his 70s, and his wife, Kay, a British national also in her 70s, were recovered yesterday near Coonanna harbour, a few miles from Cahirciveen.
The O'Donoghues, who had lived in England for many years, returned to Cahirciveen some years ago and regularly fished in the Coonanna area, using a 16foot fibreglass boat.
Mrs O'Donoghue often sold her catch of mackerel at a stall in Killorglin.
It is understood that the couple set out at about 3.30 p.m. on Thursday to haul in nets. Because of the unseasonally warm weather off the south-west, a huge shoal of mackerel was running at the time, and the nets were especially heavily-laden.
According to local fishermen familiar with the waters, the conditions at the time were calm. The only explanation they could offer for the tragedy was that the volume of mackerel in the nets might have caused the O'Donoghues' boat to overturn.
Although Mr and Mrs O'Don oghue were both strong swimmers, it seems that they got into difficulties and were unable to reach the coastline, which is dotted with deep caves and crags.
The alarm was raised on Thursday evening when a local fisherman spotted an oar in the water. This led to the launching of the Valentia lifeboat. A Sikorski rescue helicopter took off from Shannon when the alarm went out and the coast and cliff rescue service in Cahirciveen was also alerted.
Mr O'Donoghue's body was recovered from rocks in the area at about 9 a.m. yesterday. His wife's body was brought ashore yesterday afternoon.