PRAYERS have been said for the Kilkeel man who is missing feared dead off the County Louth coastline.

The crewman aboard the Kilkeel fishing boat, Zenith, fell into rough seas shortly after 1pm on Sunday.

The boat had been working in waters around 17 miles off Clogherhead when the accident happened.

Despite the best efforts of the vessel’s skipper and other crewmen, the man, a foreign national who made Kilkeel his home, could not be returned to the safety of the fishing boat.

Sea conditions were quite rough, with a three-metre swell with a south-easterly wind blowing force five to seven.

Within seconds of the skipper contacting the Irish Coast Guard a major search operation swung into place, involving the Dublin-based search and rescue helicopter, lifeboats, fishing vessels – including the Zenith, and shore searches were carried out.

Due to deteriorating weather and fading light the aerial search was suspended on Sunday evening, and it resumed at first light the following morning.

Ferry plan still has

a long road to go

IMPROVING local roads infrastructure appears key to a proposal to create a car ferry service between Greencastle and Greenore.

Last week Newry and Mourne councillors received a presentation on the ferry plans, which are still at an early stage.

There are real concerns among local residents that the roads leading to the proposed landing site will not be able to cope with the potential increase in traffic volume that an hourly ferry service would bring.

If it goes ahead, the ferry will run a number of times a day all year round, with a 15 minute crossing every hour at the height of the season.

Local political representatives have said they will not be fully in favour of the project until the roads issue is resolved.

One of the men behind the ferry proposal, Mr Bill Tosh, describes the Mourne area as “a destination in hiding” and believes the ferry project could open up the area to thousands of potential visitors.

He and his business partner Paul O’Sullivan have met with TDs at the Dail, local residents, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Newry and Mourne District Council.

“The project is in its sixth year and it has been a ‘slow burn’”, Mr Tosh said. “It has been investigated five times and has always passed the litmus test in terms of the business case and appetite to use it.”

A CROSS-party delegation of Down District councillors has been refused a meeting with the Health Minister Edwin Poots about modernisation plans which could lead to the loss of over 30 public sector jobs from Downpatrick.

They wanted to meet with him in an attempt to reverse the decision to move finance staff at Bernagh House to Ballymena under plans to centralise NHS administration services.

Ballymena was one of four locations identified to become a Centre of Expertise while the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust was the only Trust area not to be considered as a possible administrative hub.

The plans have angered staff and local political representatives who believe that the Downshire Estate - which is being developed as a public sector site - is the ideal location for a Centre of Expertise.

In a letter received by Down District councillors last week the Minister said he could not meet with them because the consultation was ongoing.

His response has angered councillors who are to write another letter to Mr Poots ‘demanding’ that he meet with them.