The late Councillor Anthony (Tony) Waldron has been remembered this week as a visionary public representative, an outstanding community activist and a passionate advocate for County Roscommon.
His sudden passing from natural causes last Sunday morning stunned his family, friends, political colleagues and the wider community. He was aged in his early 60s.
Tributes have been paid by fellow politicians, community groups and members of the public. The Chief Executive of Roscommon County Council, Shane Tiernan, summed up Cllr Waldron thus: “To his fingertips, the late Cllr Anthony Waldron was an absolute gentleman.”
Former Minister of State Michael Finneran and his wife Betty, close friends of the late Cllr Waldron for many years, posted the following: ‘Our deepest sympathy to the Waldron family on the sudden and sad passing of Tony. We have great memories of our times together. You were always such a gentleman. Roscommon has lost one of its favourite sons. May Tony rest in peace.’
Councillor Waldron, of Ballintubber, Castlerea, County Roscommon, and formerly Carrowneaden, Aghamore, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, died peacefully at his home on Sunday morning.
In a statement, Roscommon County Council said that it was with shock and great sadness that the executive and elected members of the Council learned of his untimely passing.
As a mark of respect to the late Cllr Waldron, both the tricolour and the Roscommon flag have been lowered to half-mast at Aras an Chontae (Council HQ). A Book of Condolence for the late Cllr Waldron is available for the public to sign at Áras an Chontae.
Cllr Paschal Fitzmaurice, Cathaoirleach of the Council, said the late Cllr Waldron commanded respect across the political divide and that his loss would be deeply felt by the communities he served with dedication and integrity.
“As Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council I share the deep shock and sadness on learning of Cllr Anthony Waldron’s passing. As a colleague on Roscommon County Council, Anthony Waldron was respected across the political divide as a hard-working, sincere and dedicated public representative.
“To Cllr Waldron’s family and friends, I would like on behalf of all my colleagues on Roscommon County Council to extend my sincere and heartfelt sympathies on the passing of the late Cllr Anthony Waldron. May he rest in peace.”
Chief Executive of Roscommon County Council Shane Tiernan said he had learned of the “untimely death of Cllr Waldron with deep shock and sadness.”
Mr Tiernan continued: “At the outset, I would like to extend my sympathies to Cllr Waldron’s family and friends on his sad and untimely passing.
“News of Anthony’s death has been received with great shock, not only among the members and staff of Roscommon County Council but also in the wider community of Ballintubber and in the Roscommon Municipal District which he served so diligently as a public representative.
“To his fingertips, the late Cllr Anthony Waldron was an absolute gentleman. He was genuine, unassuming and kind and reflected all that was good in human nature.
“Cllr Waldron cared deeply for people and for communities. He was a passionate advocate for the people he served and was universally regarded by all sections of the wider Ballintubber community as well as by his colleagues on Roscommon County Council. He believed passionately in Roscommon and the people he served as an elected member of the Roscommon Municipal District.
“Cllr Waldron also believed passionately in what County Roscommon had to offer through its history, heritage and natural amenities. Perhaps the late Cllr Waldron’s biggest achievement as an elected representative was being instrumental in the development of The Suck Valley Way as a key tourism and recreational attraction in the county.
“Cllr Waldron established an annual Suck Valley Way Conference which highlighted what the wider area had to offer driven by his steadfast belief in the potential of this pivotal natural amenity” the Chief Executive concluded.
The late Anthony Waldron was first elected to Roscommon County Council in 2004, serving until 2009. After taking a break from politics to pursue his business interests, he was successfully returned as an Independent member of the local authority in 2019, and was re-elected in last June’s local elections.
Cllr Waldron, who was predeceased by his parents Jim and Mary, and his uncle Tony, is mourned by his siblings Mary, Breege, Sheila, Seamus, Padraic, Trish, Eamon and David, further relatives, his good friend Tommy Joe Finnegan, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.
The late Anthony Waldron will repose at The Old School House, Ballintubber this evening, Thursday, 13th of February 2025 from 4 pm until 7 pm. Removal will follow to St Bride’s Church, Ballintubber. Funeral Mass in St Bride’s Church on Friday, 14th of February (at 12 noon) will be followed by burial in Aghamore Cemetery, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo. May he rest in peace.
‘Ballintubber and Roscommon will be too quiet without his laugh’
Emmett Corcoran
Innumerable community groups have paid tribute to the late Cllr Anthony (Tony) Waldron following his unexpected passing on Sunday morning. The councillor was the driving force behind the development of the Suck Valley Way trail and Roscommon tourism was a cause that was very close to his heart.
On Facebook, Ballintubber Tidy Towns said: “The sudden passing of our friend and neighbour Anthony Waldron has created an air of gloom and loss around the village today.
“Anthony was always helpful to Tidy Towns and very active in the (Ballintubber) Castle restoration… RIP Anthony.”
Adding to the tributes being paid to the late councillor and community activist on social media, Ballintubber Community Development said: “As a committee and a community, we are deeply saddened at the sudden and untimely passing of one of our members, Cllr Anthony Waldron.
“Tony was not only a committee member and our local elected representative but also a much loved and cared for neighbour and friend.
“We will miss him greatly, his legacy will live on in the memories that remain, the individuals he supported and the many community projects he initiated and developed.”
Anthony’s local GAA & LGFA clubs, St Croan’s, added to the tributes by highlighting his many contributions to Gaelic Games in his local community: “St Croan’s GAA Club are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend Cllr Anthony Waldron.
“Anthony was a proud St Croan’s man and an incredible ambassador for our club. Anthony held the positions of Chairman, Secretary and managed numerous teams over the years.
“Anthony served in these positions with great honour and distinction. Anthony was a member of St Croan’s first intermediate winning side in 1978, he also managed Croan’s to a Junior B title in 1996, an under-21 team to a county final in 1998, a minor division two title in 2000 and managed the intermediate team to a county final in 2003.
“Anthony’s contribution to St Croan’s GAA Club and the wider community will never be forgotten. Anthony leaves behind a lasting legacy.”
Castlerea Town Team also paid tribute to the late councillor: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Cllr Anthony Waldron. From the very beginning, Anthony was a key part of the Castlerea Town Team – a great friend, a dedicated worker, and a wise advisor who always had time to listen and help.
“A lifelong community activist, Anthony was also Chairperson of the Suck Valley Way Development Co-Op Ltd, working hard to promote and develop tourism and amenities across the region. His passion for local projects and his ability to bring people together made a real difference.
“Anthony will be truly missed by all of us who had the pleasure of knowing and working with him.”
The group ‘Castles in Communities’ that examines castles in communities, both past and present, across the Irish landscape, and are currently focusing on Ballintubber Castle said: “It saddens us to hear of the sudden passing of the great Cllr Anthony Waldron. Castles in Communities would not be the same without him.
“While there are many moving parts and people involved with getting the work done, Anthony was a glue which helped bridge Ballintubber and the greater community with the political landscape of Ireland. He worked tirelessly to promote it and to give back.
“Ballintubber and Roscommon will be too quiet without his laugh. Thank you Anthony for all your hard work.”
A man who selflessly gave his support to so many local initiatives, and who sat on numerous committees, Tony (Anthony) Waldron was due to attend a meeting of the Percy French Festival Committee in Castlecoote last Monday morning. On news of his untimely passing on Sunday, festival chairperson Kevin Finnerty, in cancelling the meeting, sent this moving correspondence to committee colleagues (the email is reproduced here with permission)…
‘Tony represented the local… we must pick up the baton’
Dear committee colleagues,
Owing to the sudden and unexpected death of our esteemed friend, colleague and representative, Tony (Anthony) Waldron, our committee meeting for tomorrow, Monday 10th is called off.
Personally, I am upset at this untimely and pitiful loss. Tony was always so pleasant, eloquent, mannerly and always so well attired. He never imposed himself upon you, though he was steadfast and ardent in his tireless efforts for togetherness and unity in community and parish.
Tony represented the local, he knew the importance of locality and worked to bring the local and the issues therein to the forefront of all his efforts. If the retaining, the reviving or the founding of something meant unity for that particular local community or part thereof, then Tony was at the helm. And it’s very, very sad now to lose that tireless gospel in our midst today. Especially as these values he espoused – the other, family, community – are being subsumed for a focus on the self first; resulting in isolation and its devastating loneliness.
Tony moved silently, almost apologetically, never with exultation and the onus is on us to pick up his whisper and honour his efforts in earnest.
Communities in the West of Ireland are struggling after Storm Éowyn, and the Government and its agencies are only concerned, not about their conspicuous and shameful absence during it all, but only about who will pay for it, instead of looking out for people like… the elderly living on their own without heat or light.
Despite our busyness, and in the spirit of Tony the community activist, it is up to us, who knew and regarded Tony, to pick up the baton that he has now suddenly let go of, make the effort to know our neighbour and like him look not for credit but plough on in his name.
May he rest in peace. God bless him.
Sincerely,
Kevin Finnerty
A crushing loss to our community… but the happy memories of Tony will never fade
Paul Healy
In life, you just never know. I was due to be meeting Tony Waldron in Castlecoote at 8 am last Monday morning, for a catch-up by members of the Percy French Festival committee on plans for this year’s event. Instead, less than 24 hours before that scheduled meeting, there was the shock news of Tony’s untimely and sudden passing. What a crushing loss to our community.
He was a uniquely popular man, a person of seemingly effortless charm who quietly threaded goodwill and generosity of spirit through the communities he touched in his 64-odd years on earth.
For all who knew him, the sense of loss is huge. Meeting Tony was always a great pleasure. He was the most good-natured, modest and kindly of gentlemen.
A man of boundless ideas, he tirelessly promoted his beloved County Roscommon. Tony lived his everyday life with an absolute conviction that Roscommon could always be developed further, that we had untapped potential the world needed to know about. His belief that we had so much to be proud of, so much to showcase, was inspiring.
For Tony, it was all about realising our tourism potential, highlighting our heritage ad history, our castles, rivers, lakes, walkways and other amenities. He dreamt big. He was also a doer. Every week of every year – through his interactions with individuals and agencies, his steady persistence and confidence – he patiently and passionately teased out his vision, building blocks, sowing seeds.
While born in Co Mayo, Tony moved to Ballintubber, Co Roscommon as a child. Thereafter, he ‘bled primrose and blue’ if I may use that phrase. Unassuming, sincere, unfailingly courteous, he was a great ‘people person’.
It is striking now to reflect on the scale of his contacts, though contacts seems a slightly crude word in the context of Tony. They were friends, acquaintances certainly, but mostly friends. He was great at making friends. People liked him. He was close to a huge amount of people across all walks of life, having a wonderful quality for developing friendships. It was remarkable how he had the time (and energy) to have so many close friendships, always making the company he was in feel special. He did, after all, have that very endearing trait: he was a great listener. He had a great sense of humour too.
The projects he achieved progress on are widely known. He initiated and drove the Suck Valley Way enterprise. He introduced a ‘Rambling House’ project a while back, thus addressing rural isolation and loneliness. He was making progress on his campaign to have hundreds of famine victims who are buried in unmarked graves in Roscommon Town formally commemorated. He devised plans to promote the historic ‘Roscommon sheep’. There was the ‘Castles in Communities’ archaeological project in Ballintubber, and any number of other voluntary inputs by Tony in his beloved village.
On and on it went. He helped develop angling and other sporting amenities. Time and time again he spoke to me about the need to further promote our history, heritage, architecture and landscape, both in Ireland and abroad. He was ambitious for job creation. He had a range of creative ideas around how we could better connect with the Irish diaspora. He had specific ideas on how he felt wealthy investors from abroad could be attracted to Roscommon.
That he could do all that he did while having business interests over the years, pursuing a political career, and supporting every community gathering that was positive for our county, being an passionate sports fan too – not to mention enjoying an active social life with his huge circle of friends – is remarkable. But then he was such a people person, such a dedicated community activist. On the political front, Tony was a fine county councillor and had the cards fallen some other way at some other time, he would have entered the national political stage.
Our lives takes unexpected twists and turns, the trajectory of our existence essentially beyond our control. Roscommon has lost a very fine man, a man who loved his county with great passion. The suddenness of his passing has left us bereft. Unable to say goodbye to a man who moved effortlessly amongst us, there is grief and a deep sense of loss. He has been called early… but we can celebrate his life, remember good times shared, be inspired by his legacy – and guided by what he believed was possible.
Tony Waldron will be greatly missed. The happy memories of him will surely never fade.
