'Weeping with joy': Charlene McKenna's wedding ring returned by Skibbereen stranger

The Peaky Blinders star was at Tralispean on Tuesday to film the television adaptation of Graham Norton's novel Holding when she lost the ring near the back wall of the beach

Skibbereen's locals helped McKenna locate the ring before the tide swept it away. Picture: Peter Kramer via Getty Images.

Charlene McKenna is praising her lucky stars - and Saint Anthony - after her lost wedding ring showed up on a West Cork beach yesterday.

The actress was at Tralispean on Tuesday to film the television adaptation of Graham Norton's bestselling novel Holding when she lost the ring near the back wall of the beach.

Taking to Instagram, she pleaded with her 17,300 followers to take part in the search.

“Lovely people of West Cork, I lost my wedding ring filming on Tralispean Beach in Skibbereen yesterday. I am absolutely gutted," the Peaky Blinders star wrote alongside a picture of the ring in her stories.

"If anyone sees a little plain gold wedding band please contact me here? Our things were back near the wall so we do not think the tide could take it."

The members of the Skibbereen Notice Board group on Facebook quickly got involved, sharing a post on the page by a member who said the ring could have been "lost anywhere" and was of "huge sentimental value" without revealing its owner.

The ring was found using a metal detector.

Less than five hours later, a local named Mick used his metal detector to hunt the piece of jewellery down for its very grateful owner.

“WE FOUND IT!!!! Thank you MICK and your magic metal detector. And St. Anthony," she wrote online in an update. “Weeping with joy and might need a stiff drink!!!"

She added: “Thank you to everyone for your kind hopeful messages and your positivity. And to all the people on the beach who went blind looking at sand and rocks with me”.

The Monaghan native married her husband, fellow actor Adam Rothenberg of Bloodlands fame, just this year in an intimate pandemic ceremony at Castle Leslie. The couple was only allowed to have six guests present on the day due to restrictions at the time.

Filming for Holding is resuming today in Drimolegue with Mckenna and fellow stars Conleth Hill, Brenda Ficker, and Siobhán McSweeney. The four-part ITV series is co-produced by Virgin Media Television.

Set in the insular fictional village of Duneen, the series focuses on the discovery of the body of long-lost local legend Tommy Burke. Hill plays Garda PJ Collins, who is called to solve a serious crime for the first time in his career. 

Fricker plays Lizzie Meany, a shy presence in PJ’s life who has been battling her own demons and secrets while McSweeney has been cast Bríd Riordan, a vulnerable woman who had been due to marry Tommy before his untimely disappearance. McKenna plays Evelyn Ross, who desperately loved him.

“I am ecstatic to be part of this wonderful production, in beautiful Skibbereen," said Fricker, while McSweeney also commented on the beauty of their filming location.

“I cannot think of a better script in a better place with a better cast and crew. I’m in heaven being back in Cork."

Holding is directed by Kathy Burke, best known for her acting roles in Nil by Mouth and Absolutely Fabulous and whose mother is from West Cork.