Donegal man dies aboard fishing trawler

An investigation is to be held into the death of a Donegal fisherman on board the 144-metre super-trawler, Atlantic Dawn, on Saturday.

The man has been named as Michael Noel McGuinness, who was in his late 40s and married with children.

Mr McGuinness, from Killybegs, was an experienced fisherman and had worked for some years on vessels owned by Mr Kevin McHugh of Atlantic Dawn Ltd, including the super-trawler Veronica.

The accident occurred on Saturday while the vessel was en route from west Africa, where it has been fishing, to the Netherlands.

It is understood the vessel was not fishing at the time and a piece of equipment collapsed on deck. The vessel was to go into dry dock in the Netherlands.

It is expected that Mr McGuinness's body will be flown home for burial later this week.

The ship, Europe's largest fishing vessel when launched, was built at Kristiansund in Norway.

It has a large catch capacity, with holds designed to carry 7,000 tonnes of fish.

Commissioned by Mr McHugh, from Achill Island, at a cost of £50 million, the vessel when launched could not fish Irish or European waters, due to EU regulations.

It operated off the coast of west Africa, beginning with Mauritania, where it sought sardinella, mackerel and horse mackerel, according to its owners.

The Atlantic Dawn was designed by Vik-Sandvik, the Norwegian company which was also involved in Mr McHugh's two previous super-trawlers, both named Veronica.

The ship is half as long again as Mr McHugh's previously largest vessel, the second Veronica, which is 106 metres in length.