Sad news.

It has been reported that a man has passed away following an incident off the coast of Clare. The man, who was swimming in Kilkee, died after he got into difficulty in the sea. According to RTE, the man, who was in his 70s, was "winched from the water at West End" by a Coast Guard helicopter and taken to University Hospital Limerick. Sadly, despite the best efforts of medical staff, he was pronounced dead a short time later. The man has been named as David Weldrick, who has been described by The Limerick Leader as: "An eminent coach, having served as one of the country’s most well-known PE teachers while at University of Limerick for four decades, and was an RTE Sunday Game pundit for some time."

Very sad news. Condolences to all of Dave’s family, friends and former colleagues. He leaves behind a legacy of coaching excellence at UL. RIP Tributes paid to Limerick lecturer and All-Ireland football champion coach after tragic drowning https://t.co/eCDzQyA9FP

— University Of Limerick (@UL) August 17, 2019

Dave Mahedy, who recently announced his retirement from UL Sports, was one of David’s students. Speaking about David, e said he had a "huge influence on my career and PJ Smyth’s career" and that he was the "coach of coaches". "He really opened our eyes to the science and art of sport," he told the Limerick Leader. "He was ahead of his time." Our thoughts are with the Weldrick family at this very sad time.