Boat owner spoke to skipper minutes before tragedy

THE Pere Charles, a 25-year-old 20-metre herring boat set off from the harbour at Dunmore East in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Skipper Tom Hennessy, his uncle Pat Hennessy, Pat Coady, Billy O’Connor and Andriy Dyrin were experienced fishermen, with the four Irishmen known to have fished extensively off the south-east coast of Ireland for many years, both together and separately.

Andriy Dyrin is also believed to have worked as a fisherman in north-east Europe and had maritime books in his possession.