Tributes to ‘much loved’ nephew of Sinn Féin politician who drowned in Tyrone lake

Tributes have been paid to a “much loved, loving and caring young man” who died after getting into difficulty in a lake in Co Tyrone on Saturday night.

Fiachra Ó Faoláin entered Carrick Lough in the Carricklongfield Road area of Aughnacloy at about 11pm, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said.

The police, fire service and Community Search and Rescue volunteers took part in the search for Mr Ó Faoláin, and his body was recovered from the water on Sunday.

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Mr Ó Faoláin was a nephew of outgoing Sinn Féin MP and European election candidate Michelle Gildernew, and of Sinn Féin Assembly member Colm Gildernew.

In a statement issued on behalf of the family, Mr Gildernew said it was with “great sadness that we learnt of the death of our nephew Fiachra Ó Faoláin after a tragic accident on Carrick Lough on Sunday evening.

“Fiachra was much loved, loving and caring young man with a bright future ahead of him, and he will be remembered fondly by all who knew and loved him.

“On behalf of Fiachra’s family and our wider family circle, I want to extend our sincerest thanks and gratitude to the emergency services for all of their efforts and support,” he said.

Mr Gildernew appealed for privacy to allow the family to “process this devastating and unimaginable loss”.

A minute’s silence was held in his memory before the start of the Tyrone v Clare GAA senior football in Omagh on Sunday.

The PSNI said it would “make inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the death and a postmortem will take place in due course; however, at present the death is not believed to be suspicious.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased,” a spokesperson said.