Stolen goods recovered by An Garda Síochána put on display in the hope that people will claim their property.
An Aladdin's cave of stolen jewellery, silverware and other items can be seen at the central detective unit in Harcourt Square, Dublin. The haul, valued at £150,000, was recovered by the Serious Crimes Squad.
It was seized following an investigation lasting several months and is believed to be the biggest seizure of its kind ever made by the Gardaí.
The recovered items are displayed on a long table in the hope that people will be able to recognise and claim their lost items. Most of the items are thought to have come from hundreds of burglaries and thefts in Carlow, Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford and the Dublin areas of Blackrock, Killiney, Shankill, Dún Laoghaire, Terenure and Castleknock.
A woman from Carlow is reunited with some items taken from her house. Less fortunate is a woman from Foxrock sifting through the jewellery in the hope of finding the gold rings, pendants, and bracelets stolen from her home.
Detectives found most of the items intact, but some had been damaged and others broken down into pieces for smelting.
Jewellery and diamond buyer at Weir and Sons, Neville McDowell identifies some of the high value items on display, including a diamond brooch in the shape of a butterfly and a rare silver tray produced for the 1966 Golden Jubilee commemorating the 1916 Rising,
Somebody would have bought this as a collector's item.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 8 February 1985. The reporter is Tom McCaughren.
