Ballymore teen remembered at poignant Darkness Into Light walk
More than 600 people gathered in the early hours of last Saturday morning to take part in the Darkness Into Light walk in Ballymore, which remembered local teenager Alan McLoughlin in a special way.
Alan died by suicide in March, not long after his 18th birthday, and his devastated family, including his parents Biddy and Peter, and brothers Eoin and Niall, took part in the walk in his memory.
Alan's parents lit and released a sky lantern at the start of the walk in the village, and, with the help of his cousins from the McLoughlin and Gibney families, a total of 18 sky lanterns were released, one for each year of his life.
The young Ballymore man was described by one of his relatives as "a really lovely lad, who was always smiling."
A former student of Moate Community School, he was gifted at working with mechanics and had taken up an apprenticeship with Sean Shortall's Central Truck and Plant Repairs firm in Castledaly.
The grand marshal of the walk was Alan's younger brother Niall, who drove a 1974 Zetor tractor that Alan had purchased and completely renovated during the pandemic.
The large turnout for the walk in Ballymore helped raise €10,000 for Pieta House.
Alan had himself taken part in the Darkness Into Light walk in Mullingar, with his mother Biddy and aunt Bernie, in 2016, and his family expressed their gratitude to everyone who attended the walk last weekend and gave so generously to support the work of Pieta House.
One of the organisers of the Ballymore event, Nicola Cunningham O'Callaghan, said those who took part each did so for their own reasons and intentions, but that the event had been particularly poignant due to the recent death of Alan and because of how well-regarded he was in the locality.
The turnout for the walk exceeded expectations. "Leading up to 3.45am, it just got busier and busier, but one of the striking things was the complete silence at certain moments," said Nicola.
On behalf of the organisers, she expressed her thanks to all of the members of the public and businesses who supported the walk, saying the €10,000 which was raised for Pieta House was "an amazing and humbling feat for a small village."