Lough Ree RNLI has honoured the late Tony McCarth, a former Lifeboat Operations Manager who played a key role in the development of the station, by naming the slipway at its Coosan Point boathouse in his memory.
RNLI volunteers past and present, members of the local community and Mr McCarth’s family gathered at the Lough Ree RNLI Boathouse in Athlone on Tuesday (18 August) for the special ceremony.
The ‘Tony McCarth Slipway’ commemorates a volunteer who gave more than a decade of service to Lough Ree RNLI before his death last year.
Family tribute – Lough Ree RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Dave McCourt (left) with Tony McCarth’s daughter Ciara and wife Kathleen at the newly named Tony McCarth Slipway at Coosan Point. Photo: RNLI
More Than a Decade of Service
Mr McCarth served the charity in numerous roles and was volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager from 2017 to 2021. During a period of significant change for the station, he oversaw and led the delivery of the new RNLI boathouse at Coosan Point and helped guide its volunteer crew through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The naming ceremony followed the station’s weekly training session, with crew members joined by Mr McCarth’s family and friends.
In July 2025, Mr McCarth received a special RNLI Certificate of Service acknowledging his 11 years with the charity. The certificate noted that during his period of service, Lough Ree RNLI had “saved or aided 1,452 lives” on Lough Ree and the River Shannon.
‘Led By Example’
Speaking at the ceremony, Lough Ree RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager Dave McCourt welcomed Mr McCarth’s family and friends back to the station, particularly his wife Kathleen and daughter Ciara.
He thanked them for the support they had given Mr McCarth throughout his various roles with the lifeboat charity.
“Tony will be remembered as someone who led by example, was a welcoming and supportive presence at the Lifeboat Station and as someone who always cared about every volunteer, especially younger members of the crew,” Mr McCourt said.
