Ireland

In praise of . . . James Ryan

Kilkenny student says his rescue of wandering toddler was ‘no big deal’

Little explorer Theo Costelloe (2) re-united with UL student James Ryan (21) who found him wandering along the road in the early hours of the morning. Photograph: Liam Burke/Press 22

Kathryn Hayes
Sat Mar 22 2014 - 01:00

James Ryan showed this week that he has the right stuff to be a teacher. The 21-year-old Kilkenny man made headlines after he came across a toddler who had wandered away from his home in Limerick in the middle of the night.

The University of Limerick student from Graiguenamanagh was walking home from his part-time job as a barman when he noticed two-year-old Theo Costelloe at about 2am.


Reunited
Ryan, who hopes to become a teacher, followed the toddler, gave him his T-shirt to keep him warm and stayed with him until gardaí arrived.

Shortly afterwards the child was reunited with his mother who was unaware that the little boy had got out of the house.

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Ryan insisted later that what he had done was “no big deal”and that anyone would have done the same thing.

But with Theo’s mother expressing her warm thanks for his care and his consideration, Limerick was delighted to be able to have a face to put on to the feel-good story of the week.