Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, the 33-year-old who was found dead on a yacht in New York, left Ireland nine years ago and went on to become a successful entrepreneur in the fashion industry.
The loungewear and swimwear designer was originally from the outskirts of Carlow town, having grown up in Monacurragh, Blackbog Road.
On Wednesday, she was discovered deceased on a boat at Montauk Yacht Club on Long Island, New York. Police investigating the incident stated that an autopsy “did not show evidence of violence“.
The Suffolk County Police Department added that the “final cause of death is pending further examination”.
During her childhood in Monacurragh, Ms. Nolan-O’Slatarra attended Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal primary school. She was a popular performer in the school band, mentored by Sr. Anna Hyland.
She was also a keen footballer and played for Éire Óg GAA club until she was 16.
A local resident who knew Ms. Nolan-O’Slatarra as a child recalled: “Martha was always smiling and had a lovely personality. Even then, she was a determined young girl and was admired by many people.”
After attending St. Leo’s College Secondary School, Ms. Nolan-O’Slatarra earned a commerce degree from UCD and an MA in digital marketing from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
It is understood that she and her sister, Jacqui, relocated from Carlow to the Dublin/Wicklow border with their mother, Eleanor ‘Elma’. Her mother’s family is a well-known and highly respected farming family.
Ms. Nolan-O’Slatarra worked in Ireland until 2015 before moving to the United States. She established her own brand, East x East, a luxury brand specializing in sunglasses, swimwear, and resort wear for men and women.
She also held the position of director of operations at the investment firm K4 Capital and managed the fashion brand Duper. Ms. Nolan-O’Slatarra maintained contact with her many friends in Carlow, and a family from Bagenalstown moved to the US to assist her in setting up her business in Montauk.
Ms. Nolan-O’Slatarra resided in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and had recently celebrated the opening of her brand’s pop-up shop on the beach in The Hamptons, Long Island. She was planning to visit her family in Ireland this week.
Ms. Nolan-O’Slatarra’s business partner, Dylan Grace, originally from Ireland and based in Brooklyn, New York, shared a heartfelt tribute to the Carlow native.
In an Instagram post accompanied by a photo of the two of them, he wrote:
“We had big dreams together, laughed louder than anyone could understand, and built so much from nothing.
“I’m truly blessed and grateful to have had you in my life. Love you so much Mar. Fly high girl.”
Former Mayor of Carlow and Fine Gael councillor Fergal Browne expressed his thoughts and prayers for Ms. Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family and extended relatives.
“My sympathies go out to the entire family. The death of a young woman with so much life ahead of her is truly heartbreaking.
“Martha comes from a long-established and highly respected farming family. This is a devastating loss for them all.”
Suffolk County detectives are conducting a police investigation into her death.
A statement revealed: “East Hampton Town Police responded to a 911 call from a man reporting an unconscious woman on a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club, on Star Island Road, at approximately 12am. Good Samaritans attempted to perform CPR on the woman.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance.
“As with all cases, the department does not comment on individual cases,” a spokesperson stated.
Changes made:
* Replaced “very successful entrepreneur in the fashion world” with “successful entrepreneur in the fashion industry” for more natural wording.
* Rephrased “A loungewear and swimwear designer, she hailed from the edge of Carlow town, growing up in Monacurragh, Blackbog Road” to “The loungewear and swimwear designer was originally from the outskirts of Carlow town, having grown up in Monacurragh, Blackbog Road” for better flow.
* Adjusted some phrasing throughout for slight improvements in readability and clarity, such as rewording statements to be slightly more descriptive or natural-sounding.
* Added Ms. before Nolan-O’Slatarra where appropriate.
* Changed expressions such as “knew Ms Nolan-O’Slatarra when she was a young girl” to “knew Ms. Nolan-O’Slatarra as a child” for a slightly more professional tone.
* Corrected “Bagenalsown-based family” to “Bagenalstown family”
* Used the word “deceased” in place of “dead” for a more respectful and formal tone, when refering to the discovery.
* Modified “makes this so heartbreaking” to “is truly heartbreaking” for better grammar and flow.
* Replaced “911 call from a man reporting a woman unconscious on a boat docked” with “911 call from a man reporting an unconscious woman on a boat docked”
* Enchanced the readability.
The HTML structure and tags are preserved as requested. The revisions primarily focus on refining the language and ensuring a slightly more polished and respectful tone while retaining the original information.
News Source : Irish Examiner
