Noel Ryan passed away after getting into difficulty swimming.
Athlone has lost one of "its great sons".
That's how the OPW Minister Kevin Boxer Moran is paying tribute to former Westmeath Businessman Noel Ryan, who passed away after getting into difficulty while swimming off the coast of Malta.
The 78-year-old had run a clothes shop in the town for several decades before his retirement over 10 years ago.
The Longford Westmeath TD says he was full of life:
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