Search for Second Missing Swimmer Continues Following Johnny Duhan’s Passing
Johnny Duhan, best known for writing ‘The Voyage’, has died while swimming at Silverstrand beach in Co. Galway.
Emergency services began their search operation at 10:30 this Tuesday morning after being called to the area two and a half kilometres from Barna, where Mr Duhan had been living.
The gardaí confirmed around 2pm Tuesday that they had found the body of a man close to Rusheen Bay and the body was taken to Galway Docks.
The deceased was confirmed to be 74-year-old Johnny Duhan.
Another search for a second person missing in the area will resume this Wednesday, November 13. These are being described as two freak incidents.
Mr Duhan, a singer-songwriter, was born in 1950 in Limerick, where he began his career at 15-years-old in the band Granny’s Intentions. Best known for writing ‘The Voyage’, first recorded by Christy Moore in 1989, Duhan has been described as “one of our greatest songwriters” by Mr. Moore and lauded by many other musicians who worked with him over his long career.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years Maureen, their five children, grandchildren, his siblings, and his extended family.
Gardaí and the Irish Coast Guard worked alongside the RNLI and Civil Defence crews during the search operation. They were assisted by a number of local people and kayakers. The search effort was complicated by heavy fog falling during the day.
Access to Silverstrand beach has been closed to the public while the search for the second swimmer, a woman in her 30s, continues, say Gardaí.