Football from Ireland ends up on Welsh beach after 'missing the target'

The football was found washed up on the beach over 80 miles from home - but how did it get there?

Have you ever found something strange whilst walking on the beach?

12-year-old Celyn was searching for driftwood on his local beach in Anglesey with his dad Andrew when he found a football that was a long way from home.

The football had writing on it to say who it belonged to - the under-12s side from Finglas United Youth FC, who are based all the way over in Dublin, Ireland.

It's likely that the football had travelled over 80 miles across the Irish Sea - but it's still a mystery as to how it got there in the first place.

Celyn and his dad Andrew didn't expect to find something from so far away on their beach walk

Speaking to Newsround, Celyn said that he was "very shocked" to find the mystery football at his local beach on Easter Sunday.

"I was at the rock pools with my dad, who booted a football across the beach.

"We played with it for a bit and then saw the name of a football team on it called Finglas United. We went to search it up when we had a signal, and it turns out it was a football team from Dublin."

Celyn's dad Andrew works on a campsite, and, writing on social media, he joked with Finglas United that "if you want your ball back, you are welcome to come and collect it from us".

Celyn's dogs Nell and Dave were there for the big find

The football team had fun on their own social media post, writing that their under-12s may need some practice when trying to score goals.

Finglas United said: "There is missing the target, and then there is the football ending up in Wales missing the target!"

Speaking to the BBC, Celyn's dad Andrew said: "I wouldn't like to think how long it had been in the sea.... we've found ropes and things like that washed up before but never a football."

Only time will tell if the mystery of the missing football from Ireland ever gets solved... and if the team will ever get reunited with it.