The Whistlin Donkeys: 'Miracle needed' after items stolen from tour van

A stolen passport, an Irish folk band and the need for "one more miracle" ahead of St Patrick's Day. Not the plot of a corny comedy film, but reality for The Whistlin' Donkeys. The band had been touring in Chicago earlier this week, when their vehicle was broken into. Among the items stolen were equipment and luggage, but the biggest problem was the theft of band member Tomás Quinn's passport. With the help of Irish authorities in the US, Quinn was able to get home and has been issued a brand new passport. However, the race is now on to get a new visa ahead planned St Patrick's Day gigs in New York. Lead singer Fergal McAloon said it was "pure panic stations" when the group arrived to find the smashed up vehicle. "I knew my backpack was in the front seat and my passport was in it," he said. "There was a lot of valuable instruments in the back... not to mention everyone's valuables and personal belongings." McAloon said their first move was to figure out what was actually missing. "It turns out they had left my backpack in the back, they had rummaged through it," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme. "So I originally thought my passport was gone but I found it in