Fisherman brothers to be laid to rest today

The three brothers who drowned off the Co Waterford coast will be buried today but the boat in which they made their tragic last fishing expedition remains at sea, unable to be brought ashore because of poor weather.

A number of investigations are underway into what caused the accident which claimed the lives of Paul, 49, Kenny, 47, and Shane, 44, Bolger while they were out tending to their lobster pots about half a mile from Tramore on Wednesday.

However, Garda investigators, the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, and the Health and Safety Authority have been unable to start examining the 20ft fishing punt used by the brothers as it is still in the water.

The lifeboat in Tramore was expected to attempt to bring the boat, the Dean Leanne, ashore on Thursday afternoon but that plan was cancelled while another effort due to take place on Thursday night in high tide was called off because of a small craft warning in the area.

Another attempt may be made today, as slightly calmer weather is forecast, or else it is likely to be early next week before the boat is brought to land.

“We don’t want to put anyone else in jeopardy,” a Garda spokesman said yesterday. “We tried in low tide to see if we could tow it in, but it was too far out, and then in high tide to see if we could pull it out a bit further, but it was just too rough.”

The wooden craft is located, capsized, close to Brownstown Head on the eastern side of Tramore Bay, about half a mile from the strand. It is expected to be towed into either Dunmore East or Tramore when conditions allow.

Hundreds of people gathered in a funeral home in Waterford City yesterday afternoon and evening where the bodies of the three brothers reposed.

Crowds also came together in Passage East throughout Thursday and yesterday morning to offer support to their mother, Margaret, and to Paul’s partner Patricia and daughter Rachel; and Shane’s wife Lucy and children Callum and Martha. Kenny was single and lived in the family home at Blynd Quay in Passage with his mother.

They are also survived by sisters Lynda and Paula (Paul’s twin) and brothers Anthony and Michael. Their father, Johnny, died some years ago.

Funeral Mass for the three fishermen takes place today in the St John the Baptist Church, Crooke. Shane and Kenny will be buried afterwards in Crooke Cemetery while Paul will be buried in Faithlegg Cemetery.

The family have asked for donations to be made to the RNLI instead of flowers at the funerals.

The bodies of the men were found in the water at about 6pm on Wednesday.

Autopsies showed they died from a combination of drowning and hypothermia and it is believed they may have been in the water for some time.