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Tributes paid to Donegal fisherman after body recovered
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Tributes have been paid to the fisherman who lost his life off the north west coast.
Kevin McCloskey’s body was recovered by a vessel in a multi-agency search off Teileann, Co Donegal just before 6pm yesterday evening.
Many people in the fishing and coastal community have paid tribute to Mr McCloskey and have expressed their sympathies on his passing.
A tribute published on the Fishing Daily said Kevin McCloskey was a well-known fisherman who had spent his life fishing from Killybegs.
Lough Swilly RNLI said their thoughts were with Kevin McCloskey’s family and friends as well as their fellow search and rescue colleagues.
Sinn Féin’s fisheries spokesperson Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said it was another heart-breaking tragedy for the fishing communities as he also extended his sympathy.
The Irish & UK fishing Industries journal, The Skipper extended its deepest condolences and sympathies to Mr McCloskey’s family and friends.
LAST, a fisherman’s charity that supports bereaved families of those lost at sea, said it extended its deepest sympathies to Mr McCloskey’s family and friends at the time of tragedy.
In a statement, the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation said: “It was with deep sadness that the KFO learned of the death of Kevin McCloskey from Killybegs, owner of the FV K-Mar-K who lost his life doing what he loved, fishing”.
It said Mr McCloskey was a former Board member and chairman of the KFO in 2002 and added that “he was a respected and experienced fisherman having worked all his life in the industry and noted for his positive outlook on life”.
“The KFO would like to express our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. He will be sorely missed by the local fishing community, the membership of the KFO and the wider fishing industry.
“The KFO would also like to acknowledge the extensive efforts made by local vessels, the RNLI, Irish Coast Guard units and shore search volunteers to recover the body. Recovery at least brings some closure to what is a tragedy for the whole fishing community,” it added.
On Thursday evening, a member of the public alerted the Malin Head Coordination Centre after they found a boat that had run aground, about 4km south of Mullaghmore Head, Co Sligo.
It is believed that the fisherman fell overboard from the vessel as the engine was running when the vessel was discovered on the Sligo coastline.
A multi-agency search off Mullaghmore and in the greater Donegal bay area concluded yesterday evening following three days of intensive searching coordinated by the Coast Guard at Malin Head Maritime Rescue Sub Centre.
The Coast Guard extended their sympathy to the family of Mr McCloskey and it thanked all the search units and local fishing vessels along with An Garda Síochána and the local community for their support.
