A boy who died after getting into difficulty at Lough Ree in Co Westmeath on Saturday evening has been named as 15-year-old Martin Greene from Athlone.
Gardaí said a search operation was conducted at Carnakilla Point, Glasson, which led to the recovery of a male teen from the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Martin’s mother, Yvonne, posted on social media saying her heart was broken over the death of her “poor baby”.
His death notice says he will be sadly missed by his mother, brothers, sisters, grandmother, relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his father, John, and three of his grandparents.
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St Francis Football Club Athlone said it was “devastated” to hear of the death of a “brilliant member” who was a “lovely young man”.
“Martin was the team captain and a quiet leader who led by example on and off the pitch with his hard work. He also knew where the net was and was always one of our top scorers. Martin was highly thought of by both players and coaches and won the coaches’ player of the season this year,” the club said in a statement on social media.
Other tributes to the teenager were posted on Rip.ie, including from a man who said he was privileged to teach him at St Mary’s Primary School, Athlone.
“A fantastic young man who left an everlasting, lovely impression on me,” the teacher wrote.
A teacher at Athlone Community College said Martin was a “pleasant young man who always had a smile on his face” and had “so much talent and skill” on the rugby pitch.
Local Fianna Fáil Cllr Aengus O’Rourke said he was saddened to hear of the drowning and could only imagine what the boy’s family was going through.
He said he and his son, who is a similar age to Martin, were on the other side of the lake on Saturday when they saw the coastguard helicopter fly in, giving him “pause for thought”.
His own son was out swimming in the lake at the time. He was unaware of the circumstances at the time and learned on Saturday night that there had been a fatality.
