Gardaí have recovered a valuable 17th-century chalice that was stolen more than 21 years ago. The chalice was originally taken during a burglary in Ardee, Co Louth.
The artefact had been kept in a safe, which was stolen during the burglary in Ardee town in 1998. The safe was found empty by gardaí, in Tallaght, Co Dublin, later that year.
The location of the stolen goblet, which gardaí described as “very valuable”, remained a mystery until earlier this week.
Gardaí in Ardee were alerted that the chalice had been put up for auction in Dublin city this week. Officers in Dublin moved to seize the artefact, and it was then taken back to Ardee, where it was identified as the chalice stolen more than two decades previously.
In a statement, a Garda spokeswoman said: “Gardaí continue to investigate all the circumstances of the burglary that occurred in 1998.”
In a renewed appeal, gardaí asked for anyone with information about the burglary, or about the whereabouts of the chalice over the past two decades, to contact Ardee Garda station on 041-6853222, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666111.
