Tributes have been paid to two men who died during the swim section of an Ironman event in Youghal, Co Cork, on Sunday.
Brendan Wall, 45, has been described by his employer as a hard worker who had a genuine rapport with all of his colleagues.
Mr Wall, who got engaged to his fiancée earlier this year, was living in Solihull in the West Midlands of England.
He started work as a sales director at Top Tubes in Wednesbury in May this year having previously been employed by Cavan-based cutting tools manufacturer, ATA Group.
Managing Director of Top Tubes, April Pearson Myatt, extended her heartfelt condolences to the fiancée and family of their late employee.
"It is devastating news," she said.
"Brendan was a key member of the team and will be sadly missed both at a personal and professional level. Thinking of Brendan's family at this very sad time."
She said that the news of the death had been met with a "heavy heart" at their company.
Other colleagues paid tribute to Mr Wall, calling him a "wonderful person" who was "one of life's good guys".
Mr Wall also worked for ten years in London with Elements Material Technology where he was a sales director and then a general manager.
A graduate of Trinity College Dublin where he studied manufacturing and mechanical engineering, Mr Wall had also completed an MBA in the University of Hull.
The native of Cardrath in Slane, Co Meath, will lie in repose at Watters Funeral Home in Collon tomorrow from 4pm to 8pm.
His funeral mass will take place on Thursday at 1pm in the Church of St Brigid, Grangegeeth in Slane, with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
He is survived by his fiancée Tina, parents Oliver and Gertrude, brothers Martin and Joe, sister Maria, extended family and a large circle of friends.
Ivan Chittenden, 64, of Toronto in Canada and Brendan Wall died in separate incidents during the 1.9 km swim section of the Ironman event on Claycastle Beach on Sunday morning.
Mr Chittenden was a native of Brantford, Ontario, and had studied business at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada.
He was a senior partner in Ernst and Young prior to his retirement two years ago having first started in the London, Ontario office as a co-op student in May 1979.
He was a keen triathlete and had previously competed in Ironman events.
Mr Chittenden, who was married with a family, also ran in the Boston and Dallas marathons.
Ivan died 'doing what he loved'
An Ironman trainer who was "blessed with the gift" of coaching Mr Chittenden said that she knows in her heart that the 64-year-old man was "doing what he loved" when he died.
Eleven-time Ironman champion, Lisa Bentley, said that while she taught Mr Chittenden in the sport of triathlon and honed his marathon running for 12 years her role was more about "walking beside him as a friend".
She said she guiding him as he aspired to do his first triathlon, then his first half Ironman and ultimately his first Ironman.
Ms Bentley said that he did it all again and again and even ran all six of the marathon majors in Tokyo, Berlin, London, Chicago, New York City and Boston.
"He was my friend. He was my family. Those are not words. That is a fact. I will miss him very much," she said.
"I know in my heart that he was doing what he loved when he left us. Ivan was in the shape of his life. He kept getting faster as he got older."
'Terrible tragedy'
In a statement, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said the deaths are "a terrible tragedy".
It added that Minister of State with responsibility for Sport and Physical Education Thomas Byrne has asked Sport Ireland to liaise with Triathlon Ireland in relation to these events and to provide any suitable support that may be required to the national governing body.
"It should be noted that the triathlon event on Sunday was organised by Ironman, which is a private commercial organisation. Neither the Department nor Sport Ireland have any role in relation to the sanctioning of such events," the statement added.
"It is important to allow the relevant authorities to conduct their investigations at this time in the interests of obtaining adequate answers as to how these tragic deaths occurred."
Read more: Organisers of Cork Ironman told event couldn't be sanctioned - Triathlon Ireland
Requirement to be 'very forthright' about what happened
Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien said serious issues need to be addressed following the deaths of the two men, adding that clarity was needed concerning conflicting statements by the event organisers and Triathlon Ireland around the safety of the event.
The minister said he read the statement from Triathlon Ireland with some concern and said there is a need to find out what happened to see if there was any deficiencies in the planning of the event and the safety arrangements put in place.
He said they want to get to the truth of what happened.
Mr O'Brien said all the stakeholders involved need to be "very forthright" in what happened that day and what safety measures "were, or indeed were not put in place".
He said his thoughts are with the families of the two men who died.
Sea swimmers
Members of the Salty Souls sea swimmers group in Youghal, Co Cork, dedicated today's gathering to Mr Chittenden and Mr Wall.
Group member Orla Riordan said that their aim was to show respect to the two men and their families.
"Members of the group share a love of the therapeutic value of the sea and it is an important part of their daily lives," Ms Riordan said.
"It was a very poignant moment and a show of love and sadness at their loss. We are thinking of the two men and their families."
