Search for fishermen continues

The search for two missing fishermen feared drowned in the Irish Sea is continuing today.

The search for two missing fishermen feared drowned in the Irish Sea is continuing today.

The operation has been under way since Friday night when Ronan Browne and David Gilsenan disappeared off Skerries, north Dublin, while fishing for lobster.

A team of naval divers and the Garda underwater unit will joined Coast Guard crews, RNLI volunteers and local boats in the search today.

Teams including gardaí will also be tasked to comb beaches and shore lines.

The men's open-top fishing boat was located overturned 8km south-east of Clogherhead 24 hours later - 20km north from where debris from the boat was recovered.

Rescue crews believe the lobster boat capsized off Colt Island before drifting in high winds and swells.

Mr Browne (25), who married his wife Linda last September, had recently bought the boat which he named the Lady Linda.

He and his close friend were experienced seamen who are qualified marine engineers and originally from Skerries.

Mr Gilsenan (41) and his wife Suzanne have two young children and live in the nearby village of Rush.

Pat Flynn, a friend of the Gilsenan family, described Mr Gilsenan as "just the nicest bloke you could hope to meet".

"The families just want closure on this now. They want to find something. To sit here day after day and do nothing, it's killing them. They are just so upset. They just keep crying."

John Draper, incident manager for the Irish Coast Guard, said the organisation would conduct a 21-day search.

"This is a very intense search. Skerries lifeboat have seven units out and the Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 has been conducting an aerial search.

"Garda divers have been searching and the Air Corps has been patrolling the coast. Vessels are out from the Drogheda Coast Guard, Howth Coast Guard, Drogheda Coast Guard. A massive effort is being put into this."