An American woman has appealed for help after losing her parents' ashes on the way to Dublin Airport.
The ashes were left in a bag that was lost in transit from Chicago, leaving Donna O'Connor completely devastated. The family have a deep connection with Ireland and the Chicago native had hoped to spread her parents' remains on a farm in Castlebar.
She told Newstalk's Lunchtime Live that she is desperate to find out where her late parents' ashes are now.
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Donna said: "My parents' ashes are in my bag, and I came to Dublin on June 30, and waited for more than three hours to see if my bag would come out, because it has everything that I need for the next three months. I filed a claim with a company that Air Canada has a contract with, and then I went to the place I was staying and started calling and emailing Air Canada.
"I had heard nothing until yesterday from Air Canada. I got a voicemail saying that my baggage was being sent to my house in Illinois, which they hope is the right place. I tried to call the number back and say that I'm in Ireland and I need the baggage in Ireland. I just got a recording that no one was available to talk.
"I called my home and they've seen nothing of the luggage. I'm desperate to find out where my luggage is mostly because my parents are in there. It was a connecting flight from Chicago to Toronto to Dublin. I went through Toronto and when I checked my luggage in Toronto they said my bag would be checked through to Dublin."
Donna said that she was left with only the clothes on her back when the bag went missing.
She said: "I didn't have a carry on because I've a little cat and I brought her with me. She was considered my carry on luggage for the airline. I landed in Dublin and have been here with just the clothes on my back and my cat. Finally, after a few days I went to Penneys and bought some things for myself. I'm still heartbroken. I had a few other things of sentimental value in my luggage as well.
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"My family is 100% Irish in our ancestry and it's been an important part of our family all along. I've taught my children how important it is to hang onto that. I'm at my wit's end. I went back on the Express from the Customs House to Dublin Airport every day for eight days. One day I stayed 12 hours trying to find my luggage.
"You just sit on the floor in Dublin Airport waiting. When you come into Dublin Airport you see hundreds of bags sitting between carousels. I checked through all those hundreds of bags that are between the carousels.
"My family are from Castlebar. My great grandparents came from Castlebar to the United States. When my father passed away, part of his wake was in Irish.
"It's something that just means the world to us. My plan was to stay in Dublin for a few days just to get my feet under me and try to acclimate to the time change and then to head straight to Mayo.
"I had to leave Dublin and head up to Meath. I just needed some peace and quiet. I still intend to go West but I would like to go West with my parents' ashes."
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