Time’s up for Dingle clock thieves as owners appeal for its safe return

The owners of one of the country’s best-known pubs have appealed for the safe return of a family heirloom stolen from the premises on Saturday night.

The original Railway Time Keepers’ clock was taken from Dick Mack’s in Dingle, Co Kerry, on Saturday night.

The timepiece, which has been in the MacDonald family since the early 1900s, was taken from the kitchen room by a visiting rowdy stag party.

It was last seen a short distance away in Curran’s Pub on Main Street at around 10pm that night.

Finn MacDonald, who runs the popular pub for his uncle Oliver, launched an appeal on social media for the safe return of the clock but warned if it hadn’t been returned by Tuesday, the matter would be referred to the gardaí.

He’s hoping CCTV coverage taken in the pub that night and from other premises around the town will identify the perpetrators.

He said they already had been given a number of good leads through his Facebook appeal.

“We have a fairly good idea where they were from and we also know where they were staying in Dingle, so hopefully they’ll come forward themselves but if not, we have a lot of information that the gardaí can follow up on,” he said.

Mr MacDonald was made aware of the theft by a local on Sunday when he turned up for work. He then learned that a group of about 10 to 12 men, who had been in his premises the previous night, were later seen in Curran’s with the clock.

“They were confronted by a local there but they denied they had taken the clock. It fell on the ground and they picked it up and headed off in the direction of the late night bar but they didn’t go in,” he added.

Railway Time Keepers’ clock stolen from Dick Mack’s in Dingle.

However, he’s not confident the clock will be in a good condition when it’s recovered.

He said it’s very important to the family, particularly his uncle Oliver, who has been very upset by the theft.

“My great-grandfather Tom MacDonald worked on the railway and the clock originally was given to him. My grandfather, Dick, hung it up in the bar where it had been ever since.

“It was fairly high up on the wall above the piano. Unfortunately, if we get it back, we’ll have to nail it there,” he said.

This is the second time there has been a theft from the premises.

A few years ago, revellers attempted to steal an iconic portrait of Charles J Haughey from the wall of the main bar but their efforts were thwarted by eagle-eyed regulars as they attempted to leave and the painting was recovered.