Non existent icloud account - ipod touch

So... we have an old ipod touch, which was used with an icloud account that doesn't exist anymore.

The e-mail address to that account is also gone, as we're no longer with that provider.

When we got rid of the old icloud account, we forgot to change the ipod before hand.

For everything we try to do to recover the device, it keeps asking to log into the non existing account.

Is there a way to kick the ipod back to life, or has it become a coaster?