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Mysterious money: Kosovo aid group finds wad in donated coat

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Andrew Bushe

DUBLIN — A mystery five-figure wad of cash has been found in the pocket of a jacket donated for 100 Kosovar-Albanian refugees in Kildare’s Magee Barracks.

The cash, which is in notes of different currencies, was found as hundreds of bags of clothes were being sorted by volunteers.

"It’s a miracle," said Peadar Byrne of the Kildare Kosovo Refugee Aid Group, who has pledged the money will be used to help the destitute refugees.

"As far as we are concerned it is a donation. We would regard it in the same way as £3,000 collected for us by another group."

Byrne would only say it is a five figure sum, as the aid group have been asked by Gardai not to give details of the amount or the currencies involved.

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Volunteers sorting through about 900 bags of clothes were shocked by the find — which is understood to be more than £12,000.

"We were checking clothes and folding them in boxes when a woman felt a lump in the pocket of a jacket," Byrne said. "She said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if there was a pile of money in it?’ She put her hand in and took out this enormous amount of currencies. We all nearly died.

"We didn’t know whether to contact a tour company to book tickets to Brazil or have a cup of tea. So we locked the doors and went into the kitchen to have a cup of tea and examine it.

"It is an enormous amount of money. I don’t know whether we now have to wait three months or six months before we can use the money."

Byrne said there had been a fantastic response to a local appeal for help.

"It is like a supermarket here with people filling bags. Apart from clothes and toys, there are all sorts of food, sweets and chocolates," he said. "People have come from as far away as Athlone and Dublin to help out."

A Garda spokesman said police are investigating the mystery cash.

The Kildare refugees, who are being housed in mobile homes in the former barracks, were among a group of 157 which flew into Dublin on the second airlift from the Balkans on May 13.

May 26-June 1, 1999

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