Cork mother who lost three sons to suspected overdoses in plea to drug dealers

Christine Kavanagh has called for addicts to stop selling 'dirty drugs' and for more services for addicts

Dillon Kavanagh  died in a shelter, having struggled with addiction.

A Cork mother who has lost three sons to suspected drug overdoses is pleading with drug dealers to stop dealing “dirty drugs” and “taking our children out”.

Christine Kavanagh’s 30-year-old son Dillon died on Thursday night in Cork City, from a suspected overdose — two weeks after her son 36-year-old Damien died in his apartment in Wales.

Another of her sons, Leon, also died of a suspected overdose in 2021 while her fourth son, 31-year-old Ross, died from epilepsy in 2016, just weeks after being diagnosed with the condition.

Speaking to Cork's 96FM Opinion Line with PJ Coogan on Friday, Christine, from Gurranabraher, said she received a call late on Thursday night to inform her that Dillon had passed away. 

He died in a shelter, having struggled with drug addiction.

She said: “It’s not fair for the mom, a dad, sister, brother, to be burying another brother and a son. 

"There should be more help out there, more services for them [addicts]. It’s not good enough.” 

She described Dillon as “a lovely son, very educated, but just when he went down that road, with these dirty drugs took Dillon away from us”. 

She said: “I would just like to stop these drug dealers giving drugs and taking our children out. 

"This big dirty drug is after killing my son, and sons.” 

Christine said the family has fantastic support but believes there is not enough support available to addicts.

Although he was homeless, she said he came back to the family home two weeks ago to spend time with his family after Damien’s unexpected death.

A poem he wrote at that time, about being homeless, was shared on the radio show.

He wrote: “Life of the homeless, the toughest of them all, Not to mention the loneliness, coldness, and life’s great fall, As each day goes by, it’s getting a little tougher, Right behind their smile hides how much they suffer.”