In a twist worthy of a travel blog – or perhaps a football blooper reel – a wayward football from Dublin made an unexpected voyage across the Irish Sea, washing ashore on a quiet beach on Anglesey, Wales, much to the surprise (and amusement) of a local family.
The discovery was made by 12-year-old Celyn, who was exploring the local beach with his father, Andrew Jones. Andrew runs the Pengraig Campsite near Church Bay with his wife. Their adventure began like any ordinary afternoon, as Celyn set out to search for driftwood.
“He wanted to head up to Porth y Nant,” Andrew explained, “so off we went for a bit of a wander through the fields. At the far end of the cove, nestled between some rocks, we spotted a football looking a bit too far from home.”
Upon closer inspection, the ball revealed its origins: Finglas United Youth FC Under 12s, proudly stamped on its side. The ball had travelled over 70 miles across open sea from Finglas, a suburb of Dublin, to the scenic shores of North Wales.
“Celyn was over the moon. It’s not every day you find a cross-border football,” said Andrew, who then posted on Facebook: “If anyone from the team wants to come and collect it, it’s safe with us!”
The story quickly bounced its way onto the Finglas United Youth FC Facebook page, where the team showed they were taking it all in good humour.
“There’s missing the target,” the club posted, “and then there’s the football ending up in Wales missing the target.”
While no GPS tracker was attached to the plucky ball, it clearly has some stories to tell if only balls could talk. For now, it’s resting comfortably in Wales, perhaps plotting its next adventure… France, anyone?
So Finglas United, if you’re up for a scenic road trip (or sea rescue), your football is waiting for you, complete with new tales and a salty sea breeze.
Photos: Andrew Jones
