Wicklow car break-ins: Canadian appeals for return of marriage documents

A Canadian woman who is due to get married in Ireland this summer has appealed for the return of a passport and birthcert stolen when a number of cars were broken into in the Wicklow Mountains over the weekend.

Julie Dyck was part of a walking group which parked around 10 cars at the Shay Elliot car cark on Saturday morning.

The car park sits on a high mountain pass between Laragh and Glenmalure in Co Wicklow.

After the group left thieves broke into seven of the cars, smashing car windows, and stole a number of items, including Ms Dyck’s handbag containing documents required for her wedding.

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Ms Dyck has appealed for the return of the documents. She had been due attend a meeting in the Canadian embassy on Monday morning ahead of her marriage to Jonathan Clarke on August 25th. This has now had to be rearranged.

She is living in Ireland for the summer having originally met her partner while he was working in Canada.

“I had left the handbag which is a brown leather over the shoulder style bag in the back of the car covered up with coats. I thought it would be safe there. It’s upsetting as I am due to get married on August 25th and now I don’t have any identification as all my cards, birth cert and passport are gone. Everything is going to be delayed.

“I would appeal to anyone who found the bag or has my documents to please return them,” Ms Dyck said.

Isobel O’Duffy, who had organised the walk to celebrate her birthday, said everyone was very shaken by the robberies.

“My nephew-in-law’s fiancée who is from Canada had her handbag stolen which contained her passport and birthcert.

Helen Lawless who is the Hillwalking, Access and Conservation Officer at Mountaineering Ireland arrived to join the group around midday to find seven out of the ten vehicles had been broken into.

Ms Lawless said when she arrived at the car park she saw the other vehicles had been broken into. “I dialled 999 immediately and was told there was a Garda car being sent out.”

"However, there was a serious incident in Arklow on Saturday which we understood but there was no car available to come out to us," she explained.

Ms Lawless who is a regular hill walker in the area, says that break-ins appear to be on the increase and in particular in the summer months.

“It was a very vicious attack as one of the cars had two windows smashed. There were seven broken windows in total, and one car was untouched as it had been left unlocked. A sum of cash was stolen from this vehicle.

“Vehicles and property getting stolen is becoming an ever increasing issue here in Ireland for members of the outdoor community. Saturday was an example of not having a stronger rural garda presence and we feel more needs to be done,” said Ms Lawless.

Garda spokeswoman told The Irish Times that five incidents were reported to the gardaí last Saturday in relation to thefts from cars.

Walkers are encouraged to not leave any valuable materials in their cars.