THE death of a tug boat crew worker in Castletownbere last Saturday cast a shadow over the annual Festival of the Sea, and left a community grieving for what was a tragic and untimely loss.

Damien McGuinness (55), originally from Church Road in Killybegs in Donegal, worked with a local company, and had just arrived back in port on Friday evening after completing a job.

It is understood that he got into difficulty after entering the water close to the pier on Saturday. Emergency first responders, including the gardaí, members of the National Ambulance Service, the Coast Guard and Castletownbere RNLI, were quick on the scene, but he was found to be unresponsive.

Damien, who was predeceased by his father Peter, will be sadly missed by all who knew him in Castletownbere. Locals extended their sympathies to his mother Susan, sister Claire, brother Seamus, and his beloved nieces Lauryn and Lara.

Some travelled to attend his funeral mass at St Mary of the Visitation Church in Killybegs on Wednesday, but others took to an online book of condolences to share their heartfelt tributes to a person known to be ‘kind-hearted’ and a ‘gentle soul.’

One said: ‘I worked with Damien in the North Sea. He was a great man to have on board, always busy, always fixing things and always making us laugh. The work we do is unusual and he wasted no time adapting to it. He will be missed by the whole Orsted ROV team.’

In one emotional tribute, a cousin said: ‘It is  hard to put into words how saddened I am by the loss of my Damien. We didn’t just grow up as family, we also had the chance to work together, and I’ll always be grateful for those times. We shared plenty of laughs, and made memories I’ll never forget. You will always have a special place in my heart and I’ll carry the memories of you with me always.’

Deputy Mayor, Cllr Finbarr Harrington said: ‘The Festival of the Sea is a nine-day celebration that honours Castletownbere’s proud fishing heritage and maritime traditions.

‘As news of the tragedy spread, a sombre mood descended over the festival. One of the weekend’s headline attractions – a world record attempt by Monaghan man Shane McLoughlin to pull a 1,000-tonne tug boat on the August Bank Holiday Monday – was cancelled by the organising committee as a mark of respect to Mr McGuinness and his family.’

Cllr Harrington, extended his sympathies to the bereaved man’s family saying: ‘My thoughts and prayers are with them at this sad time.’

The deputy mayor described Castletownbere as ‘a close-knit fishing community that has experienced many tragedies over the years.

‘When something like this happens,’ he said, ‘it brings back painful memories for many families who have suffered loss connected with the sea.’