John Richards is on a quest to solve a mystery. He is looking for his half sibling, or more specifically his half sister. He has never met her and only knows of her existence after reading about it in a letter. The letter was addressed to his father, but unbeknownst to him, John saw it. It referred to a 7 year old girl who was living in England. This girl was his father's daughter.John saw this letter back in 1974 and its contents have stayed with him ever since. He has never been able to ask his father about it because John hasn’t seen him in nearly 50 years. Soon after the letter arrived in the post, John’s father disappeared, never to be seen again.

John grew up in Co. Cork with his mother, Sheila, and brother, Donal. His father, John Snr, was in his life until he was about 4 years old. He spent a lot of time going back and forth to the UK, earning money to send back to the family. However, it wasn’t long before the money stopped coming back, and John’s Dad stopped coming back.

The years went by and John grew into adulthood. Out of the blue, in 1973, John Senior reappeared, having been away for 20 years. He was back in John’s life, but only for a short time. Soon after the aforementioned letter arrived in the post, John Sr was gone again and with him, a whole host of unanswered questions.

Almost 50 years later, John is now 75 years old and lives with his wife Nell in Co. Cork. Over the years he has lived a happy life, raising two sons, doting over two grandchildren. But the little girl mentioned in the letter has never been far from his mind. Moreover, the mystery of what became of his father has also lingered. This was further heightened when his brother, Donal, died in 2020. There are a lot of questions – it’s time to find answers.

In Girl from the letter, RTÉ Documentary on One follow John on his journey as he seeks to find his half sibling. Is she still alive? Is she still in England? Can she be tracked down? He enlists the help of genealogist, PJ Hogan, as he tries to solve the mystery that has a cast a shadow over his life for so long.

Narrated by Shauna McGreevy.

Produced by Shauna McGreevy, Sarah Blake and Liam O'Brien.

First broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, 2PM, Saturday 14th October 2023

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries