A ball which crossed the Irish Sea and washed up on Llanrhystud beach will be returned to its 10-year-old owner in Ireland after a Facebook appeal.

Aline Denton, a volunteer at Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre, found the football - inscribed with the name of Aoife Ni Niocaill – last Sunday during a litter-pick on the beach.

She took a photo of the white ball - which had Aoife’s full name written on it in pen - and posted it on social media asking if anyone knew Aoife, adding: "Her football’s just washed up on Llanrhystud beach - West Wales! Wonder how long it’s taken to get here from Ireland?"

The post on Facebook was shared more than 8,000 times, eventually reaching the father of the young girl who lost the ball.

Aoife’s dad, Ruairi, said that his daughter lost the ball on Woodstown beach in County Waterford on Sunday, 10 January.

“It went in the water as the tide was going out and all we could do was watch it drift away,” he replied to the Facebook post.

“I showed her the picture [on Facebook] and she thinks she’s famous now.”

The ball amazingly took seven days to travel more than 124 miles from Woodstown beach across the Irish Sea.

Ms Denton, who lives near the beach, was out walking on Sunday on her daily lockdown exercise.

She said she was “surprised” how the post had taken off, and as the post went viral it found the father of the child.

Later she updated her Facebook post to say: "Brilliant news! The post has reached Aoife’s dad.

"Aoife lost her football near Waterford seven days ago.

“Thanks to everyone who shared the post!"

She now plans to post the ball back to its rightful owner.