Praise for heartbroken mum’s poetry fundraiser

Praise for heartbroken mum’s poetry fundraiser

3 March 2021

A KILLYLEAGH mum who wrote poems to help her cope after her son died following an attack outside a Portaferry pub has been praised by a local politician.

Jayne Macrae is set to publish the poems in a book to raise funds for the intensive care unit where her son Ryan died.

The publication costs are being met by a local business which was approached by Rowallane councillor Billy Walker after he met Mrs Macrae.

Her son was attacked by two men outside a bar in Portaferry in October 2018. The 32 year-old passed away nine days later from brain injuries in the intensive care unit of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

Last month two men, aged 21 and 30, were jailed for Ryan’s manslaughter. One was jailed for nine years, the other for eight years.

Cllr Walker said he saw a number of poems the Killyleagh woman had penned and encouraged her to include them in a book which will raise money for a good cause.

“I admire what Jayne has achieved,” he said. “It is unimaginable what she experienced but she has channelled her energies into poetry which feature in her new book.

“I have no doubt that the book will be a success and would like to thank local businessman Denis Lynn of Finnebrogue Artisan who readily agreed to cover the printing costs.”

Last week, Mrs Macrae revealed that she still does not sleep at night and often wakes up with nightmares. 

“There will never be justice for Ryan’s death,” she explained. “I found it cathartic putting pen to paper as a means of dealing with the many emotions I felt after my beloved son’s death and what I have been through.

“At the time I was still struggling with the passing of my father, four months earlier, on the day of my birthday. I was also dealing with my mother being diagnosed with cancer.’’

Cruelly, Jayne had been visiting her daughter Rebecca and three month-old grandson in New Zealand when she received word of what happened to her son.