Gardaí are seeking the public's assistance in helping to track down a reliquary stolen from a church in Dublin yesterday.
The reliquary was stolen from St Brigid's Church, Killester, between 12 noon and 3pm while the church was open to the public.
The religious object has a very distinctive celtic design on the front and on the two sides.
It also has double doors on the front and had been in the church for over 50 years.
The distinctive press, fashioned in the style of St Patrick's Bell, housed a small piece of St Brigid's skull brought back to Ireland from Portugal in 1929.
But parish officials had only removed the relic, which is fixed to a cruciform, in recent weeks as the double-door reliquary underwent renovations as part of general maintenance at the church on Howth Road.
The theft was carried out two days before St Brigid's Day.
It follows the robbery in Co Tipperary last October of another ancient relic, reputed to be from the cross on which Jesus was crucified.
That priceless artefact was returned to Holycross Abbey, near Thurles, earlier this month after gardai carried out a search in the midlands.
Killester parish priest Monsignor Alex Stenson said it was unclear if the latest theft was targeting the relics of St Brigid, one of Ireland's three patron saints.
"We could speculate until the cows come home but I really do not know," he said.
Fr Stenson said parish officials decided not to put the relic back into the container but instead kept it in a safe as it was needed for the annual St Brigid celebrations.
The cleric said there would be no special prayers for the return of the reliquary but he hoped it would turn up.
"We'll be happy enough with celebrating the feast of St Brigid and blessing people who wish to be with the relic," he said.
Fr Stenson added that they would be reviewing security measures in the parish.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the gardaí at Raheny Garda station on 01-666 4300.
Additional reporting: PA