AN ELDERLY Northsider has appealed to the heartless thieves who broke into his house and stole his prized FAI cup medal to give it back.
Harry
‘Henry’ O’Brien was not at his Coolock Village home when the raiders managed to gain access to the property and ransack it.
They discovered the keys to a safe where Harry (76) kept a sum of money, his late wife Betty’s jewellery and his unique FAI cup winner’s medal that he won when he played for St Patrick’s Athletic in 1959.
They managed to get away with everything in the safe minutes before the gardai arrived.
“The gardai got there just a couple of minutes after they made their getaway,
? Harry revealed.
“A neighbour had heard noises in the house and alerted the police.
“They just got away in time but they took everything I had in the safe.
“I’m devastated,
? he added.
“My wife Letitia, who was known by everyone around here as Betty, only died last October and she treasured her little bits and pieces of jewellery.
“Bettie never drank or smoke and all she had was her rings and bracelets and that.
“I miss her very much and those pieces of jewellery were a much valued memento of her.
?
Harry is also upset at the loss of his medal.
“I played full back for St Pat’s and I remember that game well when we took on Waterford.
“My whole family, my mum and Bettie, were at the game.
?
Harry played for a team made famous by the likes of Ronnie Whelan’s dad, also Ronnie, Willie Peyton and Paddy
‘Ginger’ O’Rourke.
“I treasured that medal as it came from a time I remember so well,
? he added.
“The money is gone – I can live with that. But the medals and Bettie’s jewellery are irreplaceable.
“I know they have some value in a pawn shop or in one of those cash for gold places you see around town.
“But I was hoping that the thieves would realise and recognise that they are worth far more to me sentimentally than they would ever get in cash for them.
“I thought it was worth a shot to put the word out there and see if they might reconsider selling them off and maybe giving them back.
?
Harry added that he wanted to make his elderly neighbours aware that he had heard of other recent break-ins in the area.
“I would just like to ask them to be careful and take extra precautions for their security,
? he said.
“There are a lot of thieves out there with no honour who wouldn’t think twice about targeting old folk.
?
If anyone has any information on Harry’s belongings please contact Neil Fetherston at Northside People (tel 01-8162921) in confidence.