#RESCUE - Six people were rescued from a cruiser that ran aground in high winds on Lough Derg at the weekend.
The Irish Times reports that the group had been wakeboarding near Youghal Bay on Saturday afternoon when the 37ft boat's propeller fouled on the tow rope.
The crew attempted to free the propeller but the boat began drifting to the rocks in Force 7 gusts.
The Irish Coast Guard were quickly notified and put out a message for assistance to all vessels in the area while Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat responded to the scene, finding the cruiser on the rocks but not seriously damaged.
The boat was subsequently towed to Dromineer Bay. No injuries were reported.
Elsewhere, the Irish Coast Guard was called to assist a man who had been camping on an island bird sanctuary off Co Clare.
According to the Clare Herald, the harbourmaster at Doolin noticed the man camped on Crab Island, some 400 metres from the mainland, amid "extreme" sea conditions.
One of Ireland's worst drowning tragedies occurred in the same area in July 1983, when eight young men - including three brothers - drowned while swimming at Trá Leathan.
It's believed that the man made his way by kayak on Friday evening to the island - designated as a protected area due to the presence of a particular seabird species.
The Doolin coastguard unit made three trips to the island to retrieve the man and his belongings.
