Well Travelled Rubber Duck Stolen In Tullamore
Thursday, 22 November 2012
IF IT walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, then it must be a duck. Right?
Well maybe, but if it is yellow rubber measuring 32cm in length with a hole underneath, lights inside and three powerful magnets on the bottom then it's a duck with a difference.
The duck in question, owned by Charlie von Metzradt, was stolen off the bonnet of his car which was parked outside Charleville Castle recently.
'The duck is usually mounted to the bonnet of my car using the magnets, like a taxi radio antenna. It has travelled just over 2,500 miles like this, in three countries on two continents. It has visited Dublin, San Francisco in California, Reno in Nevada, and attended the Burning Man arts festival in the Nevada desert. It has toured Yosemite National Park in California. It went on a ferry recently to Wales, and drove to London and back. It is a well travelled duck, and was set to continue travelling the world until it was stolen in Tullamore!' says Charlie.
'It has delighted hundreds of people on the streets and in passing cars. People point, laugh, and take pictures. Families seem to like it the most. It's a lot of fun to see people enjoying it,' explains Charlie, who hails from Dublin.
'I had a motorbiker do an obvious double-take in a mirror and give me a thumbs-up, that was probably the best reaction so far. The odd puzzled expression is even more amusing,' he adds.
Charlie visits Tullamore a few times a year and he was at Charleville Castle to help them prepare for an event, but there was no event on when the duck was stolen.
The duck went missing at around 7.00 pm on Saturday, November 10th from the courtyard of the castle.
Charlie initially thought it had been taken as a prank and that he would find it later, but it hadn't turned up by the time he visited the castle again one week later. Castle volunteers are busy looking for it.
The duck is worth about €60, €40 for the duck itself, and the rest for the magnets and lights inside.
'I haven't been to the Gardai in Tullamore yet, I worry about wasting their time with such a silly thing. Perhaps asking the local community to keep an eye out for it would be a better option, and I suppose the story might amuse your readers?' says Charlie.
'The duck can be returned anonymously to Charleville Castle where castle volunteers will keep it safe for Charlie, or by calling him at 089 491 0512.
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