Crowds on the 7.15am train from Westport in Co Mayo to Heuston Station in Dublin on Thursday, August 22

Recently you published a report on the Irish Rail service, “People were gone demented – I’ll never travel on Irish Rail again”, in which your reporter Colin Gleeson interviewed me, my sister and my son Jamie, among others, regarding the appalling conditions on the Westport to Dublin train.

We were travelling to Dublin on the train to attend Barretstown for the weekend, as part of Jamie’s treatment for leukaemia at Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

As a result of your article, we received a phone call on Saturday while we were in Barretstown, to say that a reader had contacted your office to offer us a lift home! He had read your article and was adamant that we would not have to be subjected to such conditions on the homeward journey.

Your reader came from Dublin to Barretstown on the Sunday afternoon, and drove myself, Jamie and my sister home to Castlerea, Co Roscommon.

I just wanted to acknowledge in your paper the kindness and generosity of your reader, who sacrificed his Sunday to come to make life easier for a sick little boy he had never met before.

We cannot thank him enough. He knows who he is and will never be forgotten.

Samantha Webb,
Castlerea,
Co Roscommon.

In fairness.

A kind and generous reader (Irish Times letters page)

Related: ‘People were gone demented . . . I’ll never travel on Irish Rail again’ (August 22, The Irish Times)

Previously: “Dangerously Overcrowded”

Pic: Kieran Ryan