An Easter egg which was too nice to open has stayed untouched at the back of a fridge for the last 43 years in a Co Louth house.
John Gartlan, from Kilcurry, Dundalk received the egg as a present when he was just five years old and over four decades and four fridges later, it still remains 'on ice'.
The Tech Director of Net 1 Broadband says the Trebor 'Kitty's Cottage' egg, complete with toy kitten, has been exposed in one area and still looks chocolatey, but added he would not chance eating it.
"A first cousin of my mum's, Gertie Carragher from Tullydonnell, Co Armagh gave it to me when I was five. At that time, Easter eggs were much plainer than they are now and not much to look at," he said.
"But this was different. It came in a greenish yellow box with a little toy kitten beside it. I remember that it looked so nice that I didn't want to eat it, and it was put in the fridge.
"The next year, we didn't think it would be safe to eat, so it stayed in the fridge."
Pride of place
Sadly Gertie and John's parents have since passed away, but the egg is still in the fridge in the same house where he still lives.
John says that although he is not sentimental the egg will stay put in the fridge and his family know not to touch it.
"We've probably gone through about four different fridges, but the egg is still there - in the corner of the top shelf.
"The egg is still wrapped in foil but there is a little bit exposed, and it doesn't look mouldy - but I still wouldn't chance tasting it.
"I once had in the back of my head that it could be the oldest on record but there are reports of much older Easter eggs out there on the internet."
So while Kitty's Cottage will stay at the back of the fridge for another year, John will shell out for a new one to indulge in this Easter Sunday
