FOR Clare Ellis, it was to be the sentimental journey of a lifetime. Thirty nine years ago, aged 17, she had left Cabra West with the rest of her family for a new life in New Zealand.
Having brought up four children in Auckland, she decided she wanted to come back to Ireland to see her old home, neighbours and the grave of the only sister, Peggy, who had stayed behind, and who had died five years later without ever seeing her family again.
She took out a loan on her mortgage and flew with her friend, Graham Neill, via Los Angeles to London. That was where her problems started. As she was changing money at Victoria Station, her traveller's wallet - containing her Irish passport and £1,500 in travellers cheques - was stolen. Luckily the cheques were renewable and the Irish consulate came through quickly with a new passport.
In Ireland they hired a car and drove to Glengarriff, where her parents had honeymooned more than 60 years ago. They were back in Dublin last Friday staying with family friends in Dun Laoghaire.
Friday was a long day. They visited the old home in Cabra West; called in at Clare's former school and talked to the sister at Cappagh Hospital, where she had spent six years being treated for polio. They went on to Glasnevin Cemetery to lay flowers on her sister's grave. Graham videotaped it all to show to friends and relatives back in New Zealand.
At 7 p.m. on Friday they made their final call, at Clare's brother in law's brother's house in Durrow Road, Kimmage. Thinking they would be there for only five minutes, they left her handbag on the floor by the front passenger seat and his video camera in its case on the floor behind the driver's seat.
The inevitable chat and cup of tea meant it was 15 minutes later when a knock came on the door with the news that the front passenger window of the car had been smashed and the bag and video camera stolen. A total of £300 in cash and a piece of equipment worth £900 was gone.
A number of children playing on the green space beside Durrow Road had seen it all. A seven year old girl told one of the three gardai who arrived that the teenage youth who had robbed the car lived "upstairs from my auntie", says Clare. A 12 year old boy described a local 16 year old youth with a ponytail and wearing a black shirt. A garda said to Clare in an undertone that the gardai thought they knew who was responsible.
The next day Graham phoned Crumlin Garda station and talked to the sergeant who had been at the scene the previous day. "He said he knew the character responsible personally, and, knowing him, the goods would have gone by then." They would have to go to a court to obtain a search warrant to search his house, the sergeant went on, with the clear implication that it was hardly worth the candle.
Clare is in tears several times during the interview. "It's the emotional part that's most upsetting. I lived for the day I would see my sister's grave again, and that turned out to be the day I was robbed. I feel I've been slapped in the face. The policemen said `You left your bag in the car' they reprimanded me, but they could not go near the kid who did it, even though there were plenty of witnesses."
Ms Ellis and Mr Neill say they will give a reward to anyone who contacts Crumlin Garda station with information about the lost photographs and video of her sister's grave, her old home and all the other memories she was hoping to take back to New Zealand.