Searches are being conducted along the Abbey River in Limerick city for a man who got into difficulty after going for a swim today.

Latest: An army bomb disposal have made safe an explosive device found underneath Thomond Bridge, in Limerick, earlier today.

Rescue divers in Limerick, who aim to prevent suicides on the River Shannon, are to cut their response times to just 90 seconds, with the help of a new floating pontoon, launched yesterday.

When student Jennifer Purcell sees the coastguard helicopter hovering over her native city, she pauses and prays another life has not been lost to the River Shannon.