Stranger’s letter helped bereaved Louisburgh mum

FONDLY REMEMBERED Alan Durkan died in a road accident in Australia in 2013.

Ciara Galvin

LOUISBURGH mother Janet Durkan has said a 2014 trip to Australia, after her son had lost his life there in a road accident, helped her family grieve.
Last week, Ryan Tubridy was discussing the dying art of letter writing on his Ryan Tubridy Show on RTÉ Radio One, and Janet decided to get in touch about a letter she had received from a complete stranger in Australia, following her son Alan’s death.
The letter was written by Caroline, the owner of Croppa Creek shop in Penola, a small town where Alan Durkan had been staying and working on a local farm.
“I was listening to Tubridy on Wednesday and they were talking about letter writing so I thought about contacting them about the beautiful letter I got from Caroline,” Janet told The Mayo News.
In the letter, Caroline wrote, ‘Please know that we looked out for Alan, and he made some very close friends in this district.’ Caroline suggested that Alan’s family could travel out to Australia to retrace his steps and stay with her family, which they did on Alan’s first anniversary in 2014.

Gratitude
Janet expressed her gratitude for the kindness shown by Caroline, who drove a 12-hour round trip to collect them in Brisbane.
“We went everywhere Alan went. We were really lost at that stage. James [Alan’s twin brother] was with us, and it was tough on him. We went to Penola to the accident spot, and it really helped us when we got back. It was very tough. He was lovely,” said Janet adding that farmers who Alan had worked for travelled great distances to meet the Durkans when they visited. “It was so lovely. They are memories we will have with us forever.”  
Janet also paid tribute to all of Alan’s friends at home and in Australia for their support, especially to Alan’s cousin Jonathan who did so much following the tragic death of her son. A plaque has since been erected in Penola in Alan’s memory.