Athlone man dies in Malta drowning tragedy

Noel Ryan, a hugely popular retired businessman from Athlone, died tragically yesterday (Tuesday) after getting into difficulty while swimming during a holiday in Malta.

The death of the 78-year-old has been met with widespread shock and great sadness in Athlone, where he ran the Noel Ryan clothes shop on Mardyke Street for close to 50 years until his retirement in 2014.

A friendly figure with a lively sense of humour, he was a prominent personality in the retail life of the town. He took over the running of the Mardyke Street shop after the sudden death of his father, Frank, in 1965.

His tragic passing yesterday occurred in an area called Xatt is-Sajjieda, in St Julian's, Malta.

In a statement, Maltese police said they received a call for assistance in that area at 12.40pm local time yesterday.

"The police immediately went to the scene where they noticed the person at sea and requested the assistance of members of the Civil Protection and the Armed Forces of Malta.

"The man was brought ashore soon after and was assisted by a medical team.

"Unfortunately he was certified dead shortly afterwards," said the police statement, which added that an investigation into the incident was underway.

The Department of Foreign Affairs told the Westmeath Independent it was "aware of the case" and that its staff were providing consular assistance.

The late Noel Ryan, who is part of a well-known Athlone family, is understood to have been on holiday in Malta with his wife, Deirdre.

His passing comes just over four months after the death of his twin brother Brendan, of Castlemaine Street, Athlone, at the end of November last.

Funeral details for Noel Ryan are not yet known at this stage.