Gardaí hunt for historical chain

GARDAÍ are looking to retrieve a unique chain, worth in the region of 20,000, which was stolen from a famous Dublin college last Sunday.

The chain of office of the presidents of past pupils’ of Belvedere College dates from 1902, when the college union was formed.

The chain - made up of gold links - contains the names of all 80 past presidents, many of them notable religious, legal and business figures.

They include three archbishops of Dublin, including Dr Edward Byrne, Dr Dermot Ryan and Cardinal Connell.

Vinnie Duffy, committee member of the Past Pupil’s Union, said the chain was an enormous value to the college.

“It has an unusual crest, done way back when the chain was made by a process that seems to have become extinct. It is also one of the earliest representations in colour of the college crest on a medallion.”

Gardaí and college authorities believe the chain was taken from the college between 3pm and 4pm last Sunday. The thief also stole 1,000 in cash.

Mr Duffy said they thought the thief entered the college by mingling with groups of people using the college’s sporting facilities.

“The Jesuits, like a lot of religious congregations, make their premises available to clubs, to use its swimming pool, football pitch and other facilities. There’s a lot of traffic. So we think this was an opportunistic thief.”

Gardaí at Fitzgibbon Street have a good profile of the culprit and are tracking him down.

He is in his late 20s, with dark, shoulder length hair, wearing a beige jacket, light blue jeans and a red t-shirt.

Mr Duffy appealed to the thief to bring the chain back to the police.

“Last year was our centenary year, so it makes it particularly evocative.