The owners of Borris House in Carlow have launched an appeal to see the return of a historic over 200-year-old banner they believe was stolen for its resemblance to a Jewish Star of David, The Irish Times reported last week.
The banner is believed to have been taken during the Festival of Writing and Ideas on June 6, the weekend 5,000 festivalgoers were present.
The Kavanagh family told the Irish Times that they believe the person who took the banner mistook the Masonic Seal of Solomon for a Jewish Star.
The Seal of Solomon
In reality, the Seal of Solomon is understood to symbolize the mirroring of the physical and spiritual realms, according to the Irish Times.
The masonic symbol has been in the house since 1816
“It’s quite a genteel, middle-class festival. You wouldn’t imagine such a thing happening,” Kavanagh told the Irish site. “I feel someone has misread the situation and has taken offence to it. They obviously thought there was an Israeli connection with our family, which there isn’t.”
While Kavangh said that the issue had been reported to the gardaí, he stressed that they were not looking for prosecution - only the safe return of the family heirloom.
“If somebody quietly slips it into a package and returns it, we would be really grateful,” Mr Kavanagh said.