By Eoin Mc Garvey in Dublin
Buncrana man John McCarter was the toast of the Bonnington Hotel, Dublin on Saturday night where several hundred people turned out to celebrate his receiving the 2024 Donegal Person of the Year award.
Mr. McCarter was joined at the function by his wife Breda and family members from all over Donegal and some who flew in from New York.
People travelled from various parts of Donegal for the event, while many members and supporters of the Donegal Association in Dublin were in attendance in big numbers to be with their new Person of the Year.
Elaine Caffrey, President, Donegal Association of Dublin presents the 2024 Donegal Person of the Year Award to John Mc Carter who is pictured with his wife Breda. (Pictures by Eoin Mc Garvey)
Previous winners in attendance on the night included Bríd Rodgers, Stephen McCahill, Jason Black, Deirdre Mc Glone, John Carr, and Noel Cunningham, and last year’s recipient Moya Brennan.
A respected and highly successful businessman, John McCarter and the family name is synonymous with the clothing and textile industry in the North West.
As sales director of the family business, William P McCarter and Co Ltd, he was centrally involved in merging that business with Fruit of the Loom Inc. in 1987.
Together with his co-directors, he was pivotal in expanding that commercial entity which developed into the largest employer in the north west and the largest clothing manufacturer in Ireland.
Alongside his business career John McCarter has served in a voluntary capacity in many community organisations which have a strong influence in tourism, culture and economic life in Donegal.
He is also the chairperson of the board of Fort Dunree.
John Mc Laughlin, Chief Executive, Donegal County Council and his wife Mairead in Dublin for the Donegal Person of the Year event.
In 1987 John was a founding director of Donegal County Enterprise Fund and was its chairman from 1997 to 2008.
He was Director and Vice Chairperson of Donegal County Enterprise Board until its cessation in April 2014, as well as being a member of the Donegal County Development Board.
He has also been closely associated with the Lough Swilly RNLI in various capacities over the years.
Speaking to the Donegal News, John said he was taken totally by surprise when he was told he was to receive the 2024 Donegal Person of the Year award.
“It’s an amazing accolade and I never really thought it would come to me even though I knew a nomination had been submitted. It’s a wonderful award to get particularly since it comes from the people I live amongst. It means a lot more to me as it’s something from your own people,” he said.
The night was tinged with some sadness as one of John’s nominees, David McGee, Manager of Fort Dunree, passed away suddenly earlier this year. David’s wife Monica and his sisters Brenda and Carol attended at the event.
“David’s passing puts a tinge of sadness on it as he worked very hard on the nomination with the rest of the Fort Dunree board. I worked with David for 24 years and losing him was just like losing a son. It’s sad but I’m glad for David that he knew the award had come to me before his unfortunate passing,” John said.
2023 Donegal Person of the Year, Moya Brennan with her husband Tim Jarvis in Dublin on Saturday night.
Donegal Association President Elaine Caffrey congratulated John on the award and said it was a fitting year for him to be named Donegal Person of the Year.
“In this the 90th anniversary of the founding of our Association we are reminded of the circumstances in which we were established in 1935.
This was as a result of the Arranmore disaster where 19 people tragically lost their lives at sea.
“A group of Donegal people living in Dublin met up and set about providing assistance for those bereaved families, and from there the Donegal Association Dublin was born. John McCarter, with such close links to the RNLI and his memberships of the many voluntary boards, could not be a more appropriate recipient of the award this year,” she said.
Marion Caffrey and Denis Sheridan at the Donegal Person of the Year event.
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