RIP: Lough Ree RNLI mourns the passing of 'great leader and wonderful' friend Tony McCarth

The death of Tony McCarth on Tuesday, June 24 was met with great sadness among the volunteer crew at Lough Ree RNLI.

The flag of the charity flies at half-mast over the Lifeboat Station at Coosan Point as a mark of respect to a kind colleague, a great leader and a wonderful friend.

Tony first became a volunteer crew member with Lough Ree RNLI in 2014.  Eager to support life-saving and the community effort on the lake he progressed through several roles before taking on the volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager post in  2017.  

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During his tenure in this role he  led the transition from the temporary structures to the wonderful boathouse at Coosan Point which was officially opened in June 2022. He was really proud to deliver the scripture reading in Irish at the opening ceremony.

While the delivery of the new boathouse, and the achievement of raising more than €100k in a local community contribution was a fantastic achievement, Tony’s greatest asset was his people skills. 

He loved a good story, was a great listener and was interested in everyone he met. There is not a single member of the crew, past or present, at Lough Ree RNLI who has not at some time been encouraged and supported in their volunteer role by Tony McCarth.

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In 2023, the RNLI’s 200th anniversary year, he was awarded the ‘Excellence in Volunteering Award’ to mark his generous contribution as a volunteer to saving lives on Lough Ree and the river Shannon.

Reflecting on Tony McCarth’s wonderful service to the local community through the RNLI, Lough Ree RNLI founding member and Launch Authority Damien Delaney said: ‘Tony McCarth made an incredible contribution to Lough Ree RNLI and for more than a decade he made a positive contribution to saving and preserving lives on our waters and wqs a beacon for all volunteers who followed in his footsteps.’

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The volunteer crew at Lough Ree RNLI, volunteers around the country and the staff of the charity offer sincere condolences to Tony’s wife Kathleen, his daughter Ciara and his wider family on their loss. Funeral arrangements HERE.