A GRAVESTONE with the ironic inscription “you will never be forgotten”, a pair of glass eyes and a live goldfish are among the strangest items that have wound up in lost and found at Dublin Airport.
Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has revealed the most bizarre objects left by travellers who somehow forgot to pick them up from the baggage carousel.
A toilet seat, human ashes and a live turtle are also some of the misplaced bits and pieces which have left staff baffled.
Arguably the most dumbfounding object of the lot is a massive boulder from an Irish beach.
DAA spokeswoman Audrey O’Hagan says staff were particularly surprised by the gravestone, lost at the drop-off point to the departures area at Terminal One a few years ago.
"There was a headstone left behind and inscribed on the headstone were the words 'You will always be remembered, never forgotten',” she explained.
“But they obviously forgot the headstone.”
A large number of abandoned crutches and wheelchairs have also wound up in lost property, leading airport staff to wonder whether "some miraculous recoveries have taken place within the terminals", according to Ms O'Hagan.
A life-sized mannequin, false teeth and a cistern were also items consigned to the airport’s lost and found department – where they have to be reclaimed within 12 months.
The huge beach boulder was brought into the airport by a passenger as a souvenir for their garden, even though it weighed a hefty 15kgs and was deemed a potential weapon by security.
A large anchor chain ended up in the airport’s hands for similar reasons, while chainsaws and angle grinders have also gone unclaimed.
Though airport staff are used to seeing bizarre objects go through the X-ray scanners, they were taken aback when a passenger tried to take a kitchen sink in their hand luggage, revealed Ms O'Hagan.
Another passenger attempted to board a flight with a live turtle in their pocket, finally handing it back unharmed to a family member who was not flying.
"Just two weeks ago, somebody tried to bring a goldfish, so they had a goldfish in a two-litre bottle of water they wanted to take away with them,” Ms O’Hagan said.
“They couldn't, so believe it or not, that fish has since been re-homed by a staff member here and it's in their fish pond in Malahide.”
The DAA say that every item lost at the airport is kept for a year and a day before being thrown away.
"You can log it online using an online form," explains Ms O'Hagan, "and if you're looking to see if your item has arrived into lost property, we update that website or you can email [email protected]"
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