Coastal communities mourn boating deaths

A small coastal community is mourning the death of a professor of creative writing and poetry who drowned after his dinghy capsized off the south-west coast.

John O’Leary — who was born in Boston and later educated at Trinity College Cambridge and Trinity College Dublin — died after he and his son Christopher, decided to swim to shore after the boat capsized off Allihies, West Cork.

Prof O’Leary, 58, has been visiting professor of creative writing and Irish studies at Illinois Wesleyan University and Seattle University and has taught at numerous other universities in the US and Europe before turning to his hand to sheep farming in Allihies.