Tributes have been paid to the late singer/songwriter Johnny Duhan, who tragically drowned, after getting into difficulty, while swimming off the Galway coast.
Mr Duhan was one of two people reported missing, having been swimming at Silverstrand beach, along the western outskirts of the city. The other person, is a woman in her 30s, with an extensive search ongoing at the time of writing.
Johnny Duhan was renowned for writing the song, 'The Voyage', a track which was made famous by Irish musician Christy Moore. The song was the title track Moore's 1989 album.
Johnny Duhan also wrote hit song, 'Whiskey Didn't Kill the Pain' for singer Mary Coughlan, a song that she says she sings at every concert, and features on her biggest selling album, 'Uncertain Pleasures'.
Paying tribute to Johnny Duhan, Mary Coughlan called his death, "very sad".
"It's one of the songs that people know very well and sing along to", she said.
In a recent interview, Mary Coughlan said that Mr Duhan gave her two songs, and while she liked both him, she eventually convinced him to combine both to make "one great song".
She explained: "He had very clear ideas about what he wanted and I think it's the only time he's ever changed his mind about a song".
"It's all very sad", said Mary Coughlan, while sending her condolences to Johnny Duhan's wife, children, and extended family.
Taoiseach Simon Harris hailed Johnny Duhan as "a renowned and much loved songwriter".
He said: "Thinking of his family and loved ones at this very sad time".
