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Tickets for Euro 2012 have been in short supply. Czarek Sokolowski/AP/Press Association Images

Happy ending: Irish fan’s forgotten tickets will make it to Poland after all

Damian Coughlan left his tickets behind in Dublin Airport earlier – but a friend heading for Poland tonight has saved the day.

Updated, 14:19

ONE UNLUCKY IRISH fan who endured the classic pre-tournament nightmare – leaving his tickets behind him in the airport – will be reunited with his precious tickets in Poland later this evening.

Damian Coughlan, 23, from Knocklyon in Dublin left his tickets for all three of the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2012 matches behind him while browsing in the Champion Sports outlet in the airport earlier today.

The tickets – which were issued in the name of his father, Oliver – were spotted by a staff member at the branch, Chris Brannigan, who immediately sought to find their owner.

“We contacted airport police straight away,” Brannigan said, “and though they called Mr Coughlan’s name three times over the intercom, he never contacted the store.”

It’s thought that Coughlan did not hear the announcements either because his flight had already taken off, or because he was not listening out for his father’s name.

This afternoon, however, a spokesman for Dublin Airport said the crisis was being solved – because word of the forgotten tickets had reached a friend of Damian’s, who will be able to bring them to Poland within a few hours.

“A friend of Damian’s is travelling out [to Poland] this evening, and he’s en route to pick up the tickets now,” the spokesman said.

“We’re thrilled to have been able to reunite Damian with his tickets,” he added. ”Particular thanks to the guys at Champion Sports for handing them in the first place!”

Brannigan had joked that the Champion Sports outlet had seen “a few people come in saying they’ll take the tickets to Poland with them and find Mr Coughlan,” but that airport police had advised them to keep the tickets for the time being.

Earlier, Dublin Airport had taken to Twitter to ask people interested in buying the tickets to stop calling them, as they were keen only to have the tickets handed over to their rightful owner.

Additional reporting by Gavan Reilly

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23 Comments
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    Mute Darren Moore
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    Jun 8th 2012, 1:16 PM

    The full resources of the Irish state should be mobilised to help this citizen .I suggest fuel up the government jet and send a crack team of army rangers to Poland to track this man down.

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    Mute Deirdre Fitzpatrick
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    Jun 8th 2012, 2:49 PM

    I Like! When all else fails, we need a good dose of humour.

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    Mute Rónán O'Suilleabháin
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    Jun 8th 2012, 1:47 PM

    I’m Oliver Couglan and so’s my wife

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    Mute ronmart
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    Jun 8th 2012, 3:11 PM

    No I’m Oliver Coughlan

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    Mute John O'keeffe
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    Jun 8th 2012, 3:45 PM

    I’m Spartacus

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    Mute Sarah Mc Eneaney
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    Jun 8th 2012, 2:28 PM

    What a lucky guy! Fair play to the staff of champions sports and the airport security! Pat on the Back!

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    Mute High Flyer
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    Jun 8th 2012, 3:17 PM

    “Airport SECURITY”…. Oh they won’t like that description one little bit. They are Airport “Police”(Apparantly). Ask any Garda, and they will detail their admiration for the Airport “Police”… Not! I must go now and continue my quest to find the term “Airport Police” in Irish legislation… I could be a while.

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    Mute Peter Kavanagh
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    Jun 8th 2012, 12:58 PM

    Has anyone thought to contact the airlines? They’ll have the names, and they can get a message to him on landing.

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    Mute Fiona Maguire
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    Jun 8th 2012, 1:19 PM

    He must be inconsolable on the plane right now. I bet when he lands n turns on his phone he will have loads of messages

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    Mute Harry
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    Jun 8th 2012, 2:03 PM

    It’s a pity the tickets didn’t say Mick Wallace. :)

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Jun 8th 2012, 1:37 PM

    Dont worry he will be grand. He will get his tickets. 1 phonecall home from him now and its sorted.

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    Mute eire2011
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    Jun 8th 2012, 3:54 PM

    I know who’s collecting the tickets for him. The same fella went to airport before with his fathers passport instead of his own so not confident Damo will get his tickets out there!!!!!!

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    Mute Damocles
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    Jun 8th 2012, 3:22 PM

    I thought Katherine Dunne and Labour Women didn’t want Irish fans to have happy endings.

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    Mute Shirley Cummings
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    Jun 8th 2012, 3:40 PM

    Awwww nice to see some people have good hearts still in this bitter begrudging world of ours :)

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    Mute Ian Bevan
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    Jun 8th 2012, 3:09 PM

    why did he have the tickets in his hand at the airport??…stupid really I think….

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    Mute Elizabeth Taaffe
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    Jun 8th 2012, 5:17 PM

    He could have been keeping them with his passport or maybe a shop was giving away free items on presentation of match tickets. It’s a simple mistake to make, at least there’s a happy ending.

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    Mute Wolfgang Hanratty
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    Jun 8th 2012, 1:15 PM

    Send them out on next flight and he can pick them up ye morons!

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    Mute Ray Dempsey
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    Jun 8th 2012, 2:48 PM

    Who is a moron?

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    Mute The Avarus Animus
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    Jun 8th 2012, 11:32 PM

    “A happy ending”…..nothing better….ha

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Jun 8th 2012, 11:05 PM

    Great news. Now any sign of my girlfriends purse that was stolen in Dublin airport last year. We had only landed, she went to get breakfast. Purse plus $700 gone along with credit cards and her debit card was used to the tune of 200 euros. Less then a half hour on Irish soil. Early morning 5:30 am and the airport was empty!
    Great Welcome home to Ireland!
    Earlier in the year I found someone’s wallet in the street over here with $1900 in cash. I tracked the person down and returned it.
    My conscience wouldn’t allow me to keep it as you just don’t know the situation the other person may or may not be in.
    Fcuk anyone who gives me a red thumb!

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    Mute The Avarus Animus
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    Jun 8th 2012, 11:36 PM

    Fair play Declan..I would do the same..you’d never know if it was all they had left or just pocket change…it doesn’t matter its not yours!

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    Mute Inspector Morse
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    Jun 8th 2012, 6:32 PM

    @High Flyer you obviously didn’t do much research as a quick search on Statutebooks.ie the home of Irish legislation you find several mentions for Airport Police the results are in the link below… And im not even Not mentioning their powers as Authorised Officers under Air Navigation Acts..

    http://www.google.ie/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=airport+police+and+fire+service#sclient=psy&hl=en&safe=off&source=hp&q=site:irishstatutebook.ie+%22airport+police%22&pbx=1&oq=site:irishstatutebook.ie+%22airport+police%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=26727l31038l0l31494l2l2l0l0l0l0l360l539l0.1.0.1l2l0&fp=1&biw=882&bih=649&cad=b&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw./

    Seems the oireachtas recognizes them even if you don’t.. Either way well done to all involved for reuniting the fan and his tickets :-)

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    Mute Dave Mc
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    Jun 9th 2012, 7:18 PM

    What did he buy in Champion?

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