The source, who was a close friend of one of the kidnappers, said that the Army Council, the Provos' ruling body, had sanctioned the kidnap. It is still the sort of town where locals turn their heads when two British journalists walk into a pub. Then, after the Shergar fiasco, another supermarket boss, Don Tidey, was also kidnapped and a ransom demanded. But even around the area where the horses remains are alleged to be . I was just fascinated by the story. No-one has ever admitted the theft of Shergar. There was no pressure. "He has always refused to speak openly about his time in the IRA, but he spoke to me as an 'expert' on the IRA's kidnapping strategy," says Alison. Remains were never found, and what happened to the horse has never been known. Revered Irish racehorse Shergar was taken at gunpoint from Ballymany Stud in County Kildare on February 8, 1983, and never seen again. One said it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The precise circumstances of Shergar's grisly death are also revealed for the first time. But the end of the case did not deter others on the hunt. He was born in Kildare in 1978 and kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. Now is the time to bet like men, he famously counselled. Shergar His 306 foals went on to produce such legends as 1964 Derby and Preakness winner Northern Dancer, who himself sired 645 named foals; Mr. In 2008 an investigation by the Sunday Telegraph claimed that within four days of being kidnapped and held at a remote farm senior IRA chiefs ordered the horse be released. Shergar, scheduled to cover up to 55 mares a year, has put 42 of his first 44 mares in foal. The plot, hairbrained as it turned out, was to gain a ransom for the record-breaking Epsom Derby winner. On Monday, August 8, 2022, an inmate in the Polk County Detention Center led the Polk County Sheriffs Office to skeletal remains in a shallow grave west of There, he was syndicated for 10 million (40 shares worth 250,000 each, six of which were kept by the Aga Khan) to stand at stud. "It's just three miles from Tralee and it would be a place where you would conceal the remains unseen for years. The 10-length winning distance has never been bettered in a race that dates back to 1780. The Sunday Telegraph has been told that four days after Shergar was seized, and following extensive stalling by the Aga Khan's representative, the Army Council realised their equine "property" was worthless and told the gang to release the horse. He refused to entertain the idea of bowing to the kidnappers' demands. Then How many races did Shergar lose? However, Nicky Kehoe, who was also named by O'Callaghan in his book as a member of the IRA kidnap gang, denied any involvement. I dont think this is a good thing, I cant stand the thought of overpaying for something I could have afforded with a little planning, Homobesity: How one overweight, gay, middleaged man learned to be comfortable in his skin, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+: 10 of the best new shows to watch in May. They are expected to carry out DNA tests. Shergar became a father for the first time a week ago when a bay colt [pictured top left on the newspaper page above] who looks remarkably like him was born at the Irish stud. Millars film is a forensic portrayal of Shergars kidnapping and contains definitive interviews with Cosgrove and Fitzgerald, both of whom died in the years afterwards. It was shortly after 8 pm when the son of Jim Fitzgerald, Shergars head groom that lived at the stud, heard a knock at the door. As scores of British journalists descended on Co Kildare, the hunt for Shergar turned into a media circus. Walter rode horses as he found them and that won him many races. Others said he had been seized for Colonel Gaddafi of Libya in return for arms to the IRA. "There were two bullet holes in the head and it was definitely a racehorse's head," he said. They did. A week later, The Irish Times reported that a loaded magazine from a semi-automatic rifle was found near the outside wall of Ballymany Stud and recognised as the kind used by the Provisional IRA in south Armagh. She says: "He would have been in the middle of it.". At his home, Jim Fitzgerald was dismayed when I broke the news about exactly how the horse he had cared for had died. And when he was released, he spent two of three weeks with us.". When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph, he refused to discuss the case. Taking the horse was relatively simple and the details were recounted in newspaper reports that circulated around the world in the days afterwards. Shergar has vanished before, but only briefly. File photograph: Matt Kavanagh. Named Horse of the Year in 1957, Bold Ruler was the first stallion whose offspring won more than $2 million in one season. But I couldnt get my head around the horse, and it brought it back to the fact that there is a fear of somebody saying something that would get them in trouble. Derby winner Shergar was kidnapped by an IRA gang from a stud in Co Kildare 17 years ago. Speculation is that they were unable to handle the stallion and shot him before he ran wild on them. WebShergars body has never been recovered or identified. Some believe the IRA snatched the horse, as they were looking for new sources of funding around the same time. The mystery man who went to Ireland to disappear. Shergar Furthermore, by contacting leading IRA men in Co Leitrim the leadership had guaranteed the horse "safe passage" to a remote farm close to the border. Last night police chief Mr Murphy appealed to the gang to return Shergar unharmed. Here we look back on how the Mirror reported the crime at the time. . Discover the real Ireland, how you can travel slow around the island, Dubliner adopted to New York at birth reunites with Irish family 63 years later, Catholic Church launches initiative encouraging young Irish men to consider priesthood, Killarney National Park in "terrible state" after years of neglect, conference hears, Great Famine Voices 2023 Launch New Season of Films, Ireland of the Welcomes' hot hotel: The Savoy Hotel Limerick, WATCH: 1916 Easter Rising footage featured in British Path online archives, Mustard and herb lamb chops with honey dressing recipe. Shergars owners reportedly refused to give in to the two million pound ransom demand for fear of setting a precedent. The source did not know exactly where Shergar's body was buried, but the fact that his carcass was riddled with bullets meant the gang did everything to ensure Shergar's remains were never found. One idea is that the horse did have some sort of accident while in a frenzy, and the men killed him because they couldnt handle his crazed manner. Foaled on March 3rd, 1978 at The Aga Khans stud at Sheshoon, Shergars dam, Sharmeen, was a descendent of Mumtaz Mahal, in turn the daughter of The Tetrarch, foaled at the Straffan stud in Kildare in 1911 and one of the most influential host lines of the last century. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. Police said the kidnappers did just that after driving away with their prize. Now, however, an investigation by The Sunday Telegraph to mark the 25th anniversary of the horse's kidnapping finally solves the puzzle of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never been found and how the Garda, the Irish police, bungled their investigation. The most valuable horse in the world disappeared without trace. But Prime has become a playground obsession, Belfast celebrates Deaf Awareness week with new production Expecting, Comedian Hal Cruttenden on using divorce from Derry wife as show inspiration: I did run it past her. He was astonished to find it was pierced by two bullet holes. Chief Supt James "Spud" Murphy became the darling of the media for his bizarre pronouncements and his determination to use psychics and mediums to try to solve the case. Why CanT I Take My Horse Into Gerudo Desert? Shergar's memorable ten-length Epsom Derby victory of 1981. With the horse valued at 10 million, he offered 40 shares, at 250,000 each, which were quickly snapped up. Shergar won at a canter and the chief anticipation at Epsom was whether the sensational three-year-old and his young jockey would handle the enormous expectation. Thompson is The man leading the hunt said: "I do not believe any ransom will be paid, and police will block any attempt to pay one.". Even then, the consensus was that if a ransom were paid, every racehorse in the country would become a potential target. By the evening of the fourth day, although distressed by his new surroundings, he was not badly injured, as O'Callaghan had thought. He loaded Shergar into the horsebox the men had brought with them. 1 Ruffian. The disappearance of the iconic racehorse, suspected to be the work of the IRA, has fascinated people for more than three decades. Hes with his father Wally; boyish, serious, not remotely fazed. he was worth an estimated $50 million at stud. He was gelded at a young age, so he was never used for breeding. "I can tell you, I didn't look around once - I was happy to be on the ground," he said in a broad Co Kildare accent. But having established beyond doubt that the horse was killed by the IRA - though Alison is unable to confirm some reports which said that it was machine-gunned to death after breaking a leg and becoming unmanageable - there remained the question posed by the title of the documentary, Searching for Shergar. A sign on a railing leading to the stud read: "Please close the gate.". The most valuable horse in the world disappeared without trace. Nobody has ever been charged with the theft. Doreen Swinburn cant remember the precise date, but Walter Swinburn did, at least, get another chance to say hello to Shergar far away from the thrilling crowds. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. He was expected to be a source of profit for the syndicate which owned him. The bay colt was owned by the Aga Khan, the billionaire spiritual leader to 15 million Ismaili Muslims. The Aga could have got much more if he had sold Shergar to America. But in emotional terms, Shergar also represented something that was even more priceless in 1981: an uncomplicated Irish success story. By then, a silence had begun about Shergar that would stretch for four decades. He made it look so easy. The abduction sparked a massive hunt, but, according to a former IRA terrorist, Sean O'Callaghan, Shergar was killed within days. Some horses are treated similar to pets, kept for their companionship and entertainment value. WebShergar - Born in County Kildare in 1978 and kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. The Unsolved Mystery of Shergar According to the BBC, The body has never been found. Years later, there were still whispers that Shergar was alive and secretly producing foals whose breeding lines could never be divulged. Were William Butler Yeats alive, his passion for Celtic myth and legend would seize upon the story of Shergar. The question you have to ask is: why else would anyone use a pistol to shoot a racehorse? Tommy Foley, from Tralee in Co Kerry, said he found the remains of the stallion's skull last Saturday during an annual clean up of a glen outside the West Ireland town. He became the first racehorse to win the Kentucky Derby starting from last place winning in under 2-minutes. We want 2 million [ransom] for him," one said. After failed attempts to demand money for the stallion, gentle Shergar was brutally killed and his body was never found. He was a 25/1 shout for the Derby after trainer Michael Stoute decided to prepare him after his maiden season in 1980. The kidnap strategy was divided into three parts. One of the most famous animal kidnapping cases the in the world took place in Ireland thirty years ago this Thursday. I set out thinking surely after all this time, there will be somebody wholl say, Ach yeah, he was buried in such a such a place. Even as the case remains unsolved, Taking Shergar offers a new look at this over thirty-year-old mystery. 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"I do not believe any ransom will be paid. The IRA's operations were heavily disrupted as every known Republican stronghold and safe house was raided in the hunt for the horse which, in turn, led to the seizure of several arms caches. "Two years earlier, supermarket owner Ben Dunne was kidnapped by the IRA and a ransom was paid. It is almost impossible now to watch the footage of Shergar striding away from the field, 10 lengths clear in the Epsom Derby no horse has won it by such a margin before or since without thinking of the cruelty and lonesomeness of his last hours. Shergar: kidnapped by the IRA, killed, buried in a bog in north Members of the 34-share syndicate could face huge losses if he is damaged. An armed gang who stole Shergar, winner of the 1981 Derby from the Aga Shergar, 20 years gone but not forgotten An astonishing lack of security made it equally simple for a four-man gang to steal him from the Aga Khan's stud farm in Ireland. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. More importantly, he was also able to confirm a number of different details.". His US Triple Crown performances ingrained his place in history. He said the kidnappers had failed to make proper provision to look after the horse, which damaged a leg in a horsebox and proved impossible to control. A series of phone calls was made, ultimately to Stan Cosgrove, the renowned equine vet and a shareholder in Shergar and to Alan Dukes, the Kildare TD and then minister for finance. Native Dancer became so popular that his blood began to dominate the Thoroughbred breed. The family was in Ireland and made a detour to Ballymany one afternoon for a quick visit. The IRA has privately tried to blame renegade members for the kidnap, but Kevin O'Connor, a historian and journalist with top Republican contacts, dismisses this idea. He seemed unbeatable - until the St Leger, when he trailed in fourth after starting a hot favourite. If we can show it is possible to identity him after all this time it may deter other people from kidnapping horses," he said. Kidnapped horse Shergar's fate unknown Former IRA informer Sean O'Callaghan, who is from Co Kerry, later claimed that the horse had been killed by his abductors who were unable to handle him. And she further uncovered a piece of evidence hitherto unknown to the public - that the kidnap gang dropped a magazine from a sub-machine-gun when fleeing from the stud farm. But his disappearance remains a mystery. Kidnapped racehorse Shergar was the centre of a 2 million ransom mystery last night.
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