Tributes have been paid following the sudden passing of the curator of Carlow County Museum, Dermot Mulligan.
Mr Mulligan served as the museum’s curator for over 24 years until his untimely death last Sunday.
Carlow County Museum said it is to remain closed at this time as a mark of respect to its “much loved and recently deceased colleague”.
Chief Executive of Carlow County Council Coilín O’Reilly said the local community is “absolutely shocked and devastated”.
He said: “Dermot was one of those people who lived his job and loved his job.
“He made the museum everything it is today, you can’t walk around the place without seeing his fingerprints on everything.”
Mr O’Reilly said Mr Mulligan “loved Carlow, he loved Carlow history, he loved promoting the county”.
“He was so young as well which adds to the shock and the distress, he personified the decency of what a public servant should be and of Carlow, he kept relationships with Luxembourg alive and he was just so passionate about everything he did,” he added.
Mr O’Reilly said: “We had the National Museums Conference in Carlow maybe a year ago, the respect he was held in by his peers during that conference really showed.
“It showed how well he was regarded by the people that worked with him from other counties and the work he had done in Carlow for our museum.”
In a post on social media, Carlow College, St. Patrick’s, said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of Mr Mulligan’s passing.
It said: “Dermot made an extraordinary contribution to the understanding and appreciation of local history, bringing Carlow’s rich heritage to life for generations of visitors.
“He was especially generous in his engagement with our college community, always welcoming our students and study abroad groups with warmth, enthusiasm and an infectious passion for storytelling.
“Through his work, many of our students gained a deeper connection to place, history and culture – experiences that will continue to shape their learning long into the future.”