Maritime chiefs admitted that they always knew where the “missing” freighter Arctic Sea was, but agreed to keep silent in a bid to bring a dangerous hijacking drama to a bloodless end.

President Mary McAleese sent a message of condolence to Egypt today after the tragic sinking of a passenger ferry carrying around 1,300 people.

Coast Guard vessels have pulled dozens of bodies from the water today after an Egyptian passenger ferry carrying around 1,300 people (or up to 1,415 according to some reports), mostly Egyptian workers returning from Saudi Arabia, sank in the Red Sea overnight.