Search for owner of camera found at Inishowen beauty spot in 2006

They were taken 10 years ago at Malin Head, with the camera left behind by the owner, near Banba’s Crown.

The man who discovered it, Phil McEleney, developed the photographs and has kept them and the camera for the last decade in order to help preserve what could be precious memories.

He hoped to return the photos to their rightful owner, but his search has been in vain. Now, 10 years on, Philip is making another attempt to try and identify those photographed.

Phil told the ‘Journal’ how, in 2006, he and his wife Mags were on holiday in Clonmany from Hertfordshire, England. Around the last week of August/first week of September, they visited Malin Head.

Phil said that about 100 yards from Banba’s Crown, they found a camera sitting on a bench. They enquired locally to see if they could find its owner but no-one reported it being lost. Phil and Mags took the camera back to England and searched the internet, but had ‘no luck.’

Phil had the film developed and sent the photographs to his sister, Maureen Friel at Dunaff Post Office. She showed them to family members in a bid to try and identify the people involved but it was to no avail. The photographs were then sent back to Phil.

In the years that followed, Phil joined facebook and uploaded the photographs “two or three times.” Still, no-one could identify them. He told the ‘Journal’ that, having acquired more Facebook friends, he decided to “try again this year.” He uploaded the photographs again, cropping them to make the faces bigger, although he says the original pictures are the same as they were. He said he could never thrown the photographs away knowing they belong to someone. He quipped that if it doesn’t work this time, he’ll keep on trying to find the owner as he’s “very stubborn.”

If you can help, telephone the ‘Derry Journal’ on 71272200 or email: [email protected]