A partly severed hand belonging to a 12-year-old boy was dropped from the sky by a bird into a primary school playground, police believe.
The horrifying finding was made on Friday outside Our Lady Immaculate School in Darndale, north Dublin.
Officers think the body part was blown off during Thursday night’s neighbourhood children’s play with a gas canister.
It is then believed to have been picked up by a bird. Irish station RTE said that the school was closed when it was discovered.
When the badly injured hand was found early Friday afternoon, there were suspicions that it belonged to a murder victim.
Some of the remains of slain gangland victim Keane Mulready Wood were found near the location in 2020.
Police are confident the remains belonged to the child, who presented at the hospital with a partly severed hand.
The remains are expected to undergo DNA testing to confirm their identity. The state pathologist has also been notified.
The majority of the child’s hand was missing when he arrived at Mater Hospital after the incident.
His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening according to the Irish Times.
According to the officers, the boy’s hand fragments were later picked up by a bird and dropped over the school grounds on Friday morning.
The school was on mid-term break and no children were present at the time.
A police spokesperson said: ‘Gardaí were alerted to the discovery of partial human remains at a premises in Darndale, Dublin 17 this afternoon, Friday 21st February 2025,’ the Garda said in a statement.
‘A scene is currently being held and the State Pathologist has been notified, in line with standard practice.
‘The remains will be removed for examination and DNA analysis, which will assist gardaí in confirming the identity and determine the course of the investigation.’
Just when you think you have read everything, you read that a poor child lost their hand – what an ordeal they must have lived through, and which will impact the remainder of their life.
And what a thoughtful bird, dropping it back at the primary school – extremely handy if you ask me.
Unless he had learning disabilities, this child would have understood that gas canisters are potentially harmful and can explode, but he presumably thought it would be a laugh – he’s not laughing now, and clearly, he thought it was worth taking the risk because when you are that young you don’t think about the inevitability of dying or being maimed – your perspective is a scratch and a plaster.
Many people have undoubtedly constructed a variety of explosives without considering the risks because they thought they knew what they were doing. I’m certain there were a few singed eyebrows and with good fortune and detailed management they didn’t suffer any severe injuries, but I’m sure that now with hindsight, I don’t suppose they were that careful at all.
I know that they have the technology, but is DNA testing essential? I mean, how many youngsters would have recently lost a hand? It’s not rocket science, and it was said that the hand was partially severed. If the bird had it whilst the owner of the hand was in the hospital, it was indeed severed – partially suggests it was hanging off.
All that I can envision now is this young lad being carried off by the bird by his hand. I do wonder how long this poor lad will have to wait for his hand to be returned to him. The hand would not be possible now to reattach by surgery because unless the bird had some ice to keep the hand fresh, then it would not be able to be reattached – we could always call it a cold case!
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 