thomas, alan's brother, died in 1231, possibly from injuries suffered in a tournament accident. alan's death, about three years later in 1234, is recorded by the "annals of ulster", the "chronicle of melrose", and the "chronicle of lanercost"—the later specifying the month february. alan's body was interred at dundrennan abbey, a cistercian religious house founded by his paternal great-grandfather. there amongst the monastic ruins, a particular dilapidated effigy of grey stone is generally identified as his. as the last gallovidian ruler in the legitimate patrilineal line descended from fergus, alan's death brought an abrupt end to about half a century of stable gallovidian rule under he and his father, and the lack of a legitimate male heir to succeed himself led to a sudden succession crisis.