Lost ashes: Reunited with parents' ashes lost in flight to Ireland

Donna O'Connor said she wanted to scatter her parents' ashes in Ireland because of her family's Irish heritage

A woman has been reunited with her parents' ashes after they were lost in transit.

Donna O'Connor flew from the United States to scatter her parents' ashes in the Republic of Ireland, but on her arrival at Dublin Airport, she discovered her luggage was missing.

After weeks trying to retrieve it, she found out her case had been sent back home to Chicago.

Thanks to the kindness of a stranger, it has been returned to her in Ireland.

When she initially arrived in Dublin, Ms O'Connor spent three and a half hours waiting at the luggage carousel for her suitcase to be loaded off the flight.

"Knowing that my parents' ashes were in there was so frightening to me, because I'm thinking: 'Where are they?," she previously told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme.

"Instead of thinking; 'Where's my bag?' I kept thinking: 'Where's my parents?'"

Ms O'Connor travelled to the Republic of Ireland with a plan to attend a memorial Mass for her late parents, Robert Emmett and Patricia O'Connor.

For eight consecutive days after her flight, Ms O'Connor travelled to Dublin Airport, trying to find out where her suitcase had ended up.

"The first eight days were especially hard. It was hard not having any idea where my parents might be," she said.

"I still don't know where the case was all that time. It looks very beaten up."

Donna has now been able to scatter her parents' ashes in Castlebar, County Mayo

She had flown to Dublin via Toronto in Canada and had placed her parents' ashes in her hold luggage because she was travelling with her cat and had to take her pet on the plane as carry-on luggage.

After about two-and-a-half weeks in Ireland, Ms O'Connor received some good news and some bad news from Air Canada.

Her case had been found, but it had been returned to her home in Chicago.

"One of the reasons I had planned to come here was to scatter my parents' ashes," she said.

"The case wasn't doing much good stuck in Chicago as I planned to be here for an extended period.

"I had even rented my apartment to someone else because I was going to be away for so long."

Donna's suitcase was sent back to her home in Chicago without her knowledge

After trying to get in touch with the airline, Ms O'Connor received confirmation that they would ship her case back to Dublin.

But by this point she had moved on to her accommodation in County Meath.

Thankfully, her latest problem was solved by the kindness of a stranger.

Ms O'Connor had spoken to a number of media outlets about her ordeal and one listener got in contact with a radio station to say he would try to help her.

Dermot, a Dublin Airport employee, contacted Ms O'Connor and offered to pick up her case from the airport and drive it to her.

"Without the help of those who shared my story, I don't think I would have it back," she said.

"I am so grateful for that and for Dermot's kindness. The people of Ireland have been such an emotional support."

With Dermot's help, Ms O'Connor was able to finally scatter her parent's ashes in Castlebar in County Mayo.

"I was so relieved. It was more than cathartic," she said.

"It sounds kooky but I could breathe a sigh of relief and it made me feel more normal.

"I was so excited to come to Ireland and after I landed every hour and every day was tough because I didn't know where they were. Now I'm happy to be here again."