Mystery solved: Owner of Florida lost photo album is found thanks to Times readers and Dalriada 'detectives'

After an American woman, who was trying to reunite a family with an old photo album which was left in a Florida hotel contacted the Ballymoney Times for help, we turned to you, our readers.

Sandra Sue Dent from Lake Wales in Florida contacted the Times in order to return the photo album which seems to have been left behind in a Howard Johnson’s Hotel in Winter Haven, Florida.

Sandra Sue said: “I think the album was left at the Howard Johnson’s Hotel in Winter Haven, Florida, USA, a LONG time ago and it ended up in their ‘lost and found’. Eventually it found its way to me. Inside there is a picture of Cypress Gardens which is located in Winter Haven; I live near there. I think it was left at the hotel sometime in the 1990s or maybe the early 2000s.”

The album contains photos but also two wedding invitations for the Connolly family of Dervock. Both weddings were announced at the Carncullagh Presbyterian Church in Dervock, afterwards at the Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena.

"I have also attached a picture of the cover of the album, the inscription on the inside front cover that says “To Nona with love”, a picture of the first page of the album with pictures of a woman and on the back of the large picture it says “Mum” and someone wrote in ink on the black paper "William Connolly" and "Helen Connolly”, and lastly a picture of a man and a girl which is labelled "Dad, Eleanor" and I am assuming that is William Connolly and his daughter,” said Sandra Sue.

After we published this story and posted it on Facebook, you responded in your dozens, commenting and tagging people who might know the family. Dalriada School got their ‘detectives’ on the case too as one of the photos featured one of their school hockey teams.

Mystery solved – Sandra Sue has now been put in touch with photo album’s owner, Nona (Connolly) Young originally from the Dervock area, now living in USA.