Great scott! Seattle's Irish shillelagh is missing | Crime

Every year, a century-and-a-half old club known as a shillelagh is carried in the St. Patrick's Day Parade through downtown.

But the parade's on Saturday. And the shillelagh is nowhere to be found.

Society of the Friends of St. Patrick President Mike McQuaid (center) says he left the three-foot club in the back of his SUV late Tuesday night after returning to his Queen Anne home following a St. Patrick's Day planning meeting.

Early Wednesday morning he discovered the shillelagh was missing.

At first he wasn't too alarmed.

McQuaid says the shillelagh has a history of "going missing" that dates back to the 1950's.

In fact, the club was stolen last year as a prank.

But it's always returned before the big parade.

However, this year's circumstances are a little more alarming.

McQuaid says the pranksters are usually past presidents of the Society and group members. But McQuaid says nobody in the group knows where he lives.

He also says he called a number of the so-called "usual suspects" and didn't get even a nod that this might be a prank.

"It's puzzling that nobody seems to know the answer," McQuaid said.

McQuaid is slightly worried that his automatic lock key didn't actually lock his car last night. There are no signs of forced entry and he found his car doors unlocked this morning.

What's more puzzling - nothing else was taken from the car

Still - McQuaid says he "hopes it is a prank, because that means it's coming back."

The shillelagh was brought to Seattle by Irish immigrants in 1859. It is not insured.

The Society of the Friends of St. Patrick are offering a reward for the shillelagh's urgent return - no questions asked.

If you know anything about its whereabouts, contact the Irish Heritage Club at 206-223-3608.

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Photo courtesy Society of the Friends of St. Patrick Facebook page.