An Australian tourist who visited Ireland to trace his family roots returned home with his great-uncle's false arm. The unusual gift was given to Mr Patrick Cahill, from Perth, by the undertaker who laid the deceased man to rest.
"When they saw the arm they said they would love to have it, and it was a privilege to give it to them", said undertaker Mr Seamus Butler, from Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny.
Mr Cahill and his partner, Lynn, visited Ballyragget in search of his ancestors. He met Mr Butler, who happened to have the artificial arm of the late Robert Cahill, of Ballyconra House, Ballyragget. Ballyconra House was the former seat of the Cahill family.
It appears that Robert Cahill lost an arm, either during the first World War or in a shooting accident. He had a artificial arm fitted but it was not buried with him when he died suddenly in 1970.
Now it has been given a final resting place in Australia. Mr Cahill intends having the unusual memento cleaned and mounted.