A hero, a magnetic presence, even a boy wizard – Barry Davis Ryan was many things, and yesterday he was the central figure in the celebration of a young life cut short and the story of those who helped to bring him home.

The first of the victims of Tuesday’s triple drowning will be laid to rest tomorrow with the funeral of Cork student Niamh O’Connor.

GARDAÍ believe an attempted fire-bombing of a house was a bid by suspected members of the Real IRA to extort money from its owner.