THE funeral is taking place in Ardara today of Conal Gildea, the local man who drowned in a Dublin canal last weekend.
Gardai in the capital have launched a major investigation into his death centred on a floating music venue where the 25-year-old had been in the early hours of Saturday week ago.
His body was recovered on Monday last.
Funeral Mass is at 11am at the Church of the Holy Family in Ardara.
Conal was a gifted gaelic footballer having won honours with the town’s under-age teams.
Parish priest Fr Austin Laverty said he will ask the people of the town to rally around the Gildea family “at this very harrowing time.”
He added: “There’s a dark cloud over the whole community and everyone is in shock at the death of a young man who was extremely popular.
“Young people in the parish are taking it particularly badly and we are coming together as a community.”