| Many people who live in Ireland did not know Ireland | | | | decided that Arthur Vicars who was the Officer of |
| had crown jewels. This is partly because Ireland is a | | | | Arms of Dublin Castle would keep the jewels in his |
| democracy with a president as the head of state and | | | | office. Seven keys to this office were held by various |
| partly because the last King of Ireland dates back to | | | | vicars and staff members and a further two to the |
| the 12th Century before the British invaded Ireland. The | | | | safe which was now stored in this office. |
| other reason for lack of knowledge about these | | | | On July 6 1907 it was discovered that the Irish Crown |
| jewels is because the Jewels were stolen in 1907. | | | | Jewels were missing, days before King Edward VII |
| The Irish Crown Jewels are not the Irish equivalent of | | | | and Queen Alexandra were due to visit. An enquiry |
| the English Crown Jewels which are held in the Tower | | | | was held, but didn't have the power to subpoena |
| of London, but were the insignia of the Order of St | | | | people for questioning. Vicars was disgraced and was |
| Patrick which was a chivalric order founded by the | | | | later shot dead by the IRA in 1921. |
| government in 1783. The Jewels were presented to | | | | In a strange twist, the story doesn't stop there... While it |
| the Order of St Patrick by King William IV in 1831. It is | | | | maybe the case that the jewels were never |
| widely understood that the jewels were made up from | | | | recovered, they were offered to the Irish Free State in |
| diamonds belonging to Queen Charlotte. | | | | 1927 for £5000. It is very possible that the Then |
| In 1905 the Order of St Patrick was revised, and the | | | | Taoiseach WT Cosgrave bought back the jewels in |
| jewels were to be stored in a safe in Dublin Castle in a | | | | secret. Extensive searching of the National Archives |
| newly built strong room. In a very Irish twist, it turned | | | | never revealed anything. To this day we do not know |
| out that the safe that was going to be put in the | | | | whether the jewels were bought back of where they |
| strong room couldn't fit through the door. It was | | | | are. |