As David Ryan described it, it was a “final closure”. On solid ground in Dún Laoghaire, his feelings of relief were palpable. A brief moment prior, he had scattered his brother Mark’s remains into the sea at the nearby Scotsman’s Bay, trailed by a journey of lilies strewn by loved ones on the undulating waves. Friends bid their adieus from the adjacent East Pier.
David said that carrying out his brother Mark’s wishes had been a difficult but necessary act, confessing, “I miss him greatly.” He reminisced about the first anniversary of Mark’s passing on September 21st, reflecting on how Mark had departed for the United Kingdom from the same spot, taking the Sealink ferry to Holyhead to begin anew. He felt it was fitting to bid him goodbye on his ultimate voyage from the same location.
Mark Ryan served as the driving force behind the Blackrock Boys programme aired on RTÉ Radio 1 in November 2022, as part of the Documentary on One series. Both Mark and his younger sibling, David, divulged the sexual abuse they suffered at the Spiritan-run Blackrock College in the 1970s. Their testimonies opened a Pandora’s box, leading to a surge of similar allegations by men who confessed to enduring similar abuses at Spiritan schools—including Blackrock College and its junior school, Willow Park—as well as at various private, fee-paying schools operated by the Spiritans and other religious orders in Dublin and throughout Ireland.
Mary O’Toole SC, who directed the Scoping Inquiry, submitted her report earlier this month. It urged the establishment of a Commission to scrutinize such abuses across all schools.
Mark Ryan met an untimely death in England’s capital, London, on 21st September in the previous year at the ripe age of 62. A memorial was held in his honour in Dublin on 27th October, where the Education Minister, Norma Foley, praised Mark and David’s guts in revealing the sexual abuse they experienced. Their valiant act illuminated an uncharted area of darkness, providing a much-needed direction for others to take a step forward. This newly paved path has now become an integral part of Mark’s profound inheritance, the Minister added.
On a recent Saturday, Mark’s ashes were conveyed to his final respite in Scotsman’s Bay, aboard the Dies Irae, a vessel belonging to Rowans, long-standing acquaintances of the Ryan family. Nessa, Pádraig, and Caoihfhionn Rowan were present for this significant event.
“They generously volunteered their boat for the purpose of Mark’s final voyage. We bided our time for a year, as there were numerous events following the memorial last year. Thus, we decided to delay it until his first death anniversary,” David explained.
The naming of the boat is influenced by a hymn utilised in the requiem mass, the Dies Irae, symbolising the “days of wrath”. This name was chosen keeping in mind the fierce and turbulent waves one battles while navigating around Ireland, commented Pádraig Rowan. Also onboard were Jonathan Ryan, Mark’s other brother, Jonathan’s daughter Isabella, and Mark Ryan’s close comrades Mark Brennan and Miriam Leech.
An aging Irish flag fluttered fiercely in the strong winds above the boat. This flag had previously been unfurled during each journey undertaken by Asgard, the Irish national sailing vessel, which tragically sank in the Bay of Biscay in 2008. Mark Ryan happened to be one of the former sailors aboard the Asgard.
In an interview with RTÉ, David brought attention to this connection, and was reached out by a thoughtful viewer who presented the Asgard tricolour for Mark’s last journey. “Considering Mark’s history with the Asgard, it only seemed fitting to bid him his farewell from Dún Laoghaire in this manner,” David declared.
David confessed to not having perused the Scoping Inquiry report yet and will do so when ready. Nevertheless, he expressed hope that the Inquiry’s suggested Commission of Investigation would serve their helping uncover the truth. Both David and Mark had spent considerable time engaging with the Scoping Inquiry.
“Progress is being made and I’m sure he’s watching over us. I reckon he’d be filled with pride. I’m glad for him, though his absence is significantly felt in my life. I’m striving to push ahead,” he stated.