Festival tribute to two fishermen
A special tribute has been paid to two County Down fishermen who died after their boat sank earlier this year. Donall Gibson, 22, and Connor Bogues, 26, perished after their boat hit rocks near Ardglass in January. Mr Bogues's body has never been found. The Boyne Fisherman's Rescue and Recovery Service held a river festival tribute in Portadown. The event on Saturday also marked the launch of the Northern Ireland division of the service. The Boyne Fisherman's Rescue and Recovery Service (BFRRS) is a voluntary organization of professional men and women. In the past two years, the team of divers has helped to find four people who lost their lives in the water in Northern Ireland. As well as the search for the two Ardglass men, they have also helped look for Killough teenager Jordan Murdoch and Enniskillen man Gordon Duncan.

"During the search for Connor, divers from Northern Ireland who came together over the four months in Ardglass saw the need for a rescue team and decided to join the BFRRS," said diving officer David Freeburn. "This has resulted in the extension of the BFRRS network to work on an all-island basis and be able to respond quicker if tragedies occur." Thirty people from Northern Ireland have now joined the service, including divers and boat handlers.

Thomas Daly, vice-chairperson of the BFRRS, said he was proud that the service now had a Northern Ireland division. "All the divers hope that by extending our network we will be a valuable resource to authorities such as the police or the coastguard on both sides of the border," he said. "The BFRRS has a long standing tradition of maritime rescue and we hope that the professionalism and experience of our members will be called upon in times of need for people all over Ireland."

The tribute to the two fishermen was held at the Pleasure Gardens, Portadown, from 1000 BST to 1800 BST on Saturday. There were 12 bands to provide entertainment, Irish dancers, rescue scenarios and first aid demonstrations on the River Bann. Photographs