‘We are grateful the sea gave Michael back to us’

The family of the skipper who drowned along with four of his crew off the South-West coast have pleaded with authorities to make technology available which would pinpoint fishermen lost at sea.

The request was made at the funeral of Michael Hayes, the captain of the Tit Bonhomme, which sank off Glandore, Co Cork on Jan 15.

Thousands who attended Mr Hayes’ funeral at Ring, Co Waterford on Saturday heard chief celebrant Fr Pierce Cormac state it is the hope of Mr Hayes’ wife, Caitlin, sons Micheal and Ferdia and daughters, Lia, Ealga and Dearbhaile that in future no families would have to endure the wait to find survivors, or the bodies of loved ones.