Northern Ireland

Mark H Durkan shocked after long-lost picture of beloved sister found

The long-lost photograph of Mark H Durkan and his sister, Gay on her school formal night fell out of a book by Danielle Steel titled 'Vanished'.
The long-lost photograph of Mark H Durkan and his sister, Gay on her school formal night fell out of a book by Danielle Steel titled 'Vanished'. The long-lost photograph of Mark H Durkan and his sister, Gay on her school formal night fell out of a book by Danielle Steel titled 'Vanished'.

SDLP assembly member Mark H Durkan has revealed how a long lost and greatly cherished picture of his beloved sister, Gay who died by suicide, has been found.

A nurse at Altnagelvin hospital, Ms Durkan died eleven years ago at the age of 28. Her death was the second tragedy to strike the Durkan family following the death in a road accident of her sister, Deirdre (18) in 2000.

Mr Durkan said the picture of himself and his sister was taken on the night of her school formal dance. For many years, his sister kept the photograph on the wall of her bedroom. However, following her death, it disappeared.

“I have often wondered about this photograph. Over the years I’ve had a few searches among her old possessions in the hope that it would turn up. I’ve asked others if they’d any idea where it might be. It had vanished.”

However, the photograph turned up completely out of the blue yesterday, thanks to a book by best-selling author, Danielle Steel called 'Vanished.'

Mr Durkan said he was contacted by life-long friend, Eamon McGinley who lives in England but was over in Ireland for Derry’s FAI Cup final victory over Shelbourne.

“He told me his mum had something that she wanted to give me and that he would swing by my office and drop it off. I’m always curious, so inquired what it was. Eamon warned me ‘it’s a bit of a mental story’ and it really is.”

The Derry politician said his friend’s mum, Helen recently purchased the Steel novel in a local charity shop.

“When she was reading the book, she felt something stuck between the pages and a photograph fell out. It was a photo of me and my sister, Gay on the night of her school formal,” he said.

Overjoyed to have found the missing photograph, Mr Durkan said he has no explanation as to how it found its way into the book. No-one in his family could recall buying the book and he did not think it was the type of book his sister, Gay would have read.

His sister always loved the paranormal and supernatural and Mr Durkan said she would be “absolutely buzzing” about the “mystery of the formal photo”.

“I’ve spoken before about signs that we get from people we love who are no longer with us. To me, this is a sign that Gay is still with us,” Mr Durkan said.