Tributes are being paid to a Waterford man who drowned in Thailand this week.

David Houlihan (24) is understood to have been holidaying with friends when the tragedy occurred.

So far, an online fundraising campaign has raised over €30,000 since last night to help repatriate his body to Ireland.

Tony Ryan is chairman of Dungarvan GAA.

"David has been involved with us, as the Houlihan family have, with generations" he said.

"David started playing with us underage, and he won championship medals under-14, he captained a divisional team under-21 football, and he's been involved with us in hurling and football".

"He's been part and parcel of this club - it's just hard to believe that he won't be back out here again next week" he added.

Houlihan, from Dungarvan, went missing on Monday night. He had left Dungarvan on Sunday and was returning to his hotel in Koh Samui.

Mr Houlihan was on a brief stop-off in the Asian country on the way to Australia.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular support to the family.

The Irish Independent reports that David's brothers have travelled to Thailand. They family have lost both their mother and father to illness.

A statement on the appeal website says: "A collection to help the lads at this time. David's family are looking after everything but we would all love to show our support. Any and all donations welcome."

Mary Fitzpatrick, a friend of the Houlihan family who founded the fundraising page, spoke with Lunchtime today. She told Jonathan Healy that she started the fund on Wednesday morning because she was unsure how to react to the news and "felt useless".

"I didn't know really how to react," she said.

"I knew everyone in the community would feel the same and I knew everyone would like to band together to help David and hid family."

You can donate to the 'Helping bring David home' fund here.

Listen to the interviews in full below