A Louth family are making an emotional plea for the return of two watches stolen during a break in.

The watches belonged to Stephen Carroll - a father of three young boys - who died from kidney cancer in November of last year.

Before his death Stephen had asked that the watches be passed on to his two oldest boys on their 21st birthdays.

However they were stolen during a robbery at his parents home in Blackrock in Louth over the weekend.

Another sister of the family was staying at the parent's house at the time, and when she came back on Saturday she saw that things were out of place.

It was then she noticed that the safe that was in the house had been ripped out.

Stephen's sister Adele Carroll told Newstalk Lunchtime the family had promised her brother that they would keep the watches safe, and they really want to have them returned.