Tributes to musician whose body was found on beach

The musician's body was discovered on Strand Hill beach, Co Sligo on Saturday, gardai said

The family of a musician whose body has been found on a beach have said his soul is at peace.

Stephen "Stevie" Martin, 29, who performed under the stage name Rainy Boy Sleep, was last seen in Derry city about three weeks ago and his car was found last week near Fanad lighthouse in Co Donegal.

Originally from Lifford, the songwriter and performer had been living in Derry for years.

His body was discovered on Strand Hill beach, Co Sligo on Saturday, gardai said.

A message posted on behalf of the family on Facebook paid tribute to those who had helped in the search for the talented and popular musician.

"Stevie's mum asked me to let everyone know that his body's been found and that his soul's at peace. Thank you everyone for the prayers and concern you've shown, it was appreciated by his family and friends," the message read.

PSNI officers in Foyle also thanked those who had taken part in searches and offered support.

"It's with great sadness that we have had to call off the search for Stephen Martin, AKA Rainy Boy Sleep, after he was discovered passed away earlier this weekend," officers said.

"He was a true gem of this city and when you look at how the whole community came together in an effort to find him, it's beyond clear how much he meant to everyone who knew and loved him."

Martin regularly played at venues across Derry and Donegal and performed in Glastonbury and toured with Cyndi Lauper and James Morrison.