Inflatable Jesus and ukuleles among strangest items lost on Irish Rail trains in 2024

A spokesman for Irish Rail said lost and found items are a daily part of rail travel and public transport everywhere.

Two ukuleles, a bag of spuds, a Christmas tree, and an inflatable Jesus were among the items lost and found on Irish Rail services last year.

The rail operator said it logged thousands of individual lost items, including common belongings like mobile phones, earphones, wallets, books, and clothes.

But there were also more unusual entries, including a “cup with smelly stuff inside,” a dog lead, and a brown fur coat.

Several children were left without precious toys, including a soft dinosaur, a cuddly cat, and a Spiderman stuffed toy.

Some items were relatively expensive. One person lost two bottles of Tom Ford aftershave and a bottle of brandy.

Other high-value belongings included a Marc Jacobs purse, a diamond and gemstone ring, and gold earrings.

Some weren’t quite as valuable, such as the “fake Gucci handbag” retrieved on one service.

Another passenger lost a violin, one mislaid a Yamaha keyboard, while two forgot to take their ukuleles home.

ID cards from international visitors were also found, including a US driver’s licence, a Hungarian ID card, and a Spanish passport.

Other identification documents included an Irish Prison Service card, an Office of Government Procurement ID, and a University College Cork staff card.

Sports equipment was frequently recovered, including boxing gloves, a bicycle, a badminton case, and rackets.

Some of the more curious items included a “large brown envelope,” though it wasn’t clear whether it contained cash.

Religious items were also logged, such as a Holy Bible, an inflatable Jesus, and a wooden set of rosary beads.

There were also more sinister discoveries, including a flick-knife, a bag of knives, and a book on the history of witchcraft.

Even medical devices were among the lost property. A sleep apnoea machine was left behind on a Cork service, and an insulin stick was found on another.

A spokesman for Irish Rail said lost and found items are a daily part of rail travel and public transport everywhere.

He said: “While there are few amongst us who haven’t left an umbrella or glasses or similar behind us, we often find more significant and higher value items too, both monetary and sentimental.” 

The spokesman added that all items are collected and held for at least 30 days, and customers can contact Irish Rail through its website or relevant train station to recover lost belongings.