Hand back cash, pleads charity to gang

A CHARITY organisation has appealed to a criminal gang to return €100,000 consisting mostly of old Irish coins which was stolen during a raid in Dublin early yesterday morning.

Armed robbers held up security staff at the Pennies from Heaven charity at Clancy Barracks in Islandbridge shortly after 2.45am.

Three members of the gang used a shotgun to overpower two security men before tying them up and making off with over £80,000 in coins. Nobody was injured during the raid which lasted almost an hour.

The haul consisted of £46,000 in £1 coins, £10,000 in 50p coins and £25,000 sterling in 20p coins.

The money was the proceeds of the Pennies from Heaven appeal which took place during the euro changeover at the start of the year.

The organisation was set up to get the public to give their spare cash in old Irish coins to charity. The proceeds of the collection which exceeded the target figure of £5m (€6.35m) is being donated equally to 11 charities, including Barnardos, Concern, Enable Ireland, Focus Ireland, the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation, the Irish Youth Foundation, the ISPCC and Simon.

Gardaí have urged banks and shopkeepers to be alert for anyone attempting to exchange large quantities of coins in return for euro.

However, the old Irish coins are virtually worthless as they can only be exchanged by the Central Bank. Commercial banks and other retail outlets have refused to handle Irish coins since the formal euro changeover ended on February 9 last, although they continue to accept Irish notes.