One said it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. WebShergar has never been found. The organisation would never admit culpability but Sean OCallaghan, the IRA commander and police informer, in interviews named those he said carried out the act. Aghrasheeling translates as "meadow of the fairies", but are people still spinning fairy stories? All of this was reported by an international media fascinated by the lead investigator, Superintendent Jim Murphy, a trilby-wearing veteran with a laconic and highly quotable manner: They must be running into the 50 now, he said drily of the clairvoyants and physics who offered leads and dreams. A quarter of a century ago, the Ballymany Stud was shielded from the outside world by a five-bar wooden gate with a latch. An armed gang who stole Shergar, winner of the 1981 Derby from the Aga Khan's Irish stud on Tuesday night told a captive groom at the time that they would be demanding 2 million for his safe return. 'He was a very kind horse. Remains were never Tom Foley, an independent member of Kerry county council, found the skull of a racehorse in a deserted gully near Tralee last Saturday. O'Callaghan suggested the horse had thrown itself into a frenzy, injured a leg and that it was put out of its misery and "was killed within days even though the IRA kept up the pretence that he was alive". They have narrowed the field, in a manner of speaking, down to a small townland called Aughrasheeling, not far from Ballinamore, and less than 10 miles from the Northern Ireland border. Don Tidey, an Irish businessman, was found alive in woods near the town after being kidnapped by the IRA at the end of 1983, months after Shergar's disappearance. Photograph: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. He remains the only horse to ever win both races in the same season. If that was not bad enough insurers refused to pay him out, insisting there was no proof that the horse was, indeed, dead. 1 Ruffian. The horse was much-loved and a celebrity in itself, and was a five-year old embarking on his second year out to stud when three armed men wearing masks burst into Ballymany threatening the head groom Jim Fitzgerald and his family. That summer was one of coronation for Shergar. His death was one of the lead items in television news bulletins and also made the front pages of national newspapers the next day. The men never reached an agreement. Rumors abound that the horse was killed just a few hours after the abduction, but the true fate of the horse remains unknown. 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. When he retired after that first season, racehorse owners paid up to $120,000 for shares in his services impregnating mares, eager to have young horses from his bloodline to train for races. I do. Alison stresses that the programme, which is screened next week on BBC One Northern Ireland, is a documentary, not an investigation, but it obviously required much research. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. Mallon, a convicted killer originally from Co Tyrone, eventually became part of IRA folklore after shooting his way out of one prison and being lifted by helicopter from another. And Walter was just an excellent horseman.. The stallion had a white blaze mark on his face, four white "socks" and a distinctive racing style of running with his tongue hanging out - he was gentle, calm and kind. Yes, it is awful, it was a racehorse at the top of its game; yes, it was killed, disappeared. By now there were up to eight gunmen on the scene. "There were two bullet holes in the head and it was definitely a racehorse's head," he said. WebShergar's remains have never been found and the thieves have never been officially identified. They did. From revolutionaries to royalty, Toby covers the He loaded Shergar into the horsebox the men had brought with them. With a distinctive white blaze on his face, four white "socks" and his unusual racing style - he ran with his tongue lolling out of one side of his mouth - Shergar quickly captured the imagination of the British and Irish public. Indeed, it could well have been from the weapon used to terrorise the groom's family until the gang made their getaway. It was the world's most famous racehorse when it was kidnapped by an armed IRA gang in 1983 and disappeared forever. The most valuable horse in the world disappeared without trace. However because of the media attention and massive police search for the horse it was decided that would be impossible without incriminating the kidnappers so the horse was shot. A mystery man said he had information the horse was still alive and he could pinpoint where it was being held. The failure to find Shergar's body meant that only members of the syndicate who had insured the horse for theft - as well as death or an accident - were compensated by their insurance companies. "His wife had found out what he was up to and warned him that if he walked out of the door [to look after Shergar] he would never walk in again," said the source. One group took the horse. Once targets had been attacked, active service units would then slip back to the "safe houses" of the south to prepare for their next mission. "Shergar was machine gunned to death. Kidnapped racehorse Shergar was the centre of a 2 million ransom mystery last night. It is then believed, and the claim is repeated in a documentary on BBC One in Northern Ireland on Thursday night, that the remains were buried in a bog. Its Shergar first . Shergar has vanished before, but only briefly. Shergar was born in Kildare, Ireland in 1978. "The police from Dublin told me not to tell Murphy anything," Capt Berry said. And when he was released, he spent two of three weeks with us.". His frightened family had followed kidnappers' orders to remain silent and it was 5 am yesterday before police were contacted. There was lots of cussing and swearing because the horse wouldn't die. It was several minutes before Shergar bled to death. If we can show it is possible to identity him after all this time it may deter other people from kidnapping horses," he said. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. His 306 foals went on to produce such legends as 1964 Derby and Preakness winner Northern Dancer, who himself sired 645 named foals; Mr. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Here is Shergar winning the Epsom Derby in 1981: 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. The 10-length winning distance has never been bettered in a race that dates back to 1780. Even as the case remains unsolved, Taking Shergar offers a new look at this over thirty-year-old mystery. As his son, Bernard, answered it, three masked and armed men barged their way in and started ordering the family around. Now, chief reporter Andrew Alderson has solved the mystery of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never been found and uncovered the truth about the Over the course of the following few days, a strange and blackly comic series of late-night phone calls and false trails formed the official backdrop to a nationwide trawl of farm yards and sheds for the missing horse. Walter Swinburn on Shergar after his runaway victory in the Epsom Derby in 1981. The kidnappers were told that further proof of Shergars wellbeing was needed. The most famous and valuable racehorse in the world, Shergar had won the 1981 Epsom Derby by ten lengths, which is the longest winning margin in the race's 202-year history. WebShergar - Born in County Kildare in 1978 and kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. All sorts of thoughts were racing through my head about what they might do to me. So Lester Piggott, even then the doyen of flat racing, and jockey for Shergars first maiden race at Newbury, stepped in as Shergar swept the field in the Irish Derby, allowing broadcaster Michael OHehir to exclaim on television: Hes winning it so easily! The incident has inspired several books, documentaries, and a film starring Mickey Rourke. 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By far the most popular set of events is that the horse, worth 10million in 1983, was taken for ransom by the IRA thinking it was owned by the fabulously wealthy Aga Khan who would pay a fortune to get the champion back. Then, after the Shergar fiasco, another supermarket boss, Don Tidey, was also kidnapped and a ransom demanded. "Two years earlier, supermarket owner Ben Dunne was kidnapped by the IRA and a ransom was paid. And especially in that era, the shoulder pad and champagne era, it was very glossy. But I honestly don't think Shergar's grave will ever be found.". 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. The man leading the hunt said: "I do not believe any ransom will be paid, and police will block any attempt to pay one.". "These were letters which set out not only what happened to Shergar, but also referred to the kidnapping of people.". When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph, he refused to discuss the case. What did Cleo sMITHs abductor do to her? As his second season approached, Shergar was expected to cover at least 55 mares throughout 1983. All that energy, all that life. They are hardly being bumped off in such a fashion all over Ireland, are they?". Read about 10 more mysterious disappearances . The Boomtown Rats released Banana Republic. Letters written by an IRA supergrass to the Belfast Telegraph's late political editor, Liam Clarke, proved pivotal in the making of a new BBC documentary on one of Ireland greatest kidnap mysteries. 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. When proof of the horses wellbeing was required, the kidnappers instructed someone to go to the Crofton Hotel and report to the front desk as Johnny Logan. The Sunday Telegraph reported that four days after Shergar was seized, the Army Council realized they would never collect a ransom. "That's not a very nice thing to do," he said slowly, with typical Irish understatement, as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. It is 35 years since Derby winner Shergar was horse-napped from the Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. Two armed men forced their way into the house. In the one-hour programme Bafta-winning film maker Alison Millar looks at the life and death of the dual Derby hero, stolen at gunpoint from the Aga Khan's Ballymany Already, however, there were problems: the kidnappers mistakenly believed that Shergar belonged solely to the Aga Khan when, in fact, the horse was owned by 34 members of the syndicate, who had to agree tactics. But the end of the case did not deter others on the hunt. A gorgeous few minutes of television interview exists with Walter Swinburn, utterly unflappable and just 19 when he rode Shergar to victory. From there, the scene moved to Maxwells farmhouse, at a remote location outside Belfast. Tests carried out at the Irish Equine Centre, in County Kildare, found the skull belonged to a much younger horse than the racing legend was when he was abducted. On the racecourse, as a two- and three-year-old, Shergar had been nothing short of sensational, winning the 1981 Derby by 10 lengths, a record distance that century for Britain's biggest flat race. Furthermore, a prominent Provo-supporting family used to live in the village of Aughnasheelan, three miles from Ballinamore, which is surrounded by deep bogs where a horse's body could easily be hidden. More importantly, he was also able to confirm a number of different details.". He was born in Kildare in 1978 and kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. Des Leadon, the head of clinical pathology at the Irish Equine Centre, who has investigated a number of horse corpses that were believed to have been Shergar, said DNA testing would have to be used to determine if the skull belonged to the missing horse. There was blood everywhere and the horse even slipped on his own blood. Thompson received a phone call the next day from the kidnappers - they said, "The horse has had an accident. It was quite a character of a horse. Where is the animal buried? Revered Irish racehorse Shergar was taken at gunpoint from Ballymany Stud in County Kildare on February 8, 1983, and never seen again. John Waynes Monument Valley Horseback Ride, Wyatt Earps Vendetta Ride Tombstone Arizona Territory. Security was minimal, which reflects a kind of misplaced innocence and trust when it came to Ireland and horses. Once back home, Mr Fitzgerald found his family unharmed. In February 1983, Shergar was kidnapped from his stable in Kildare, held for ransom, and brutally killed by his captors who havent been identified. One of the most famous animal kidnapping cases the in the world took place in Ireland thirty years ago this Thursday. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. 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. But this turned out to be an elaborate hoax and the real negotiations were going on between. The proud former groom still has framed photographs of Shergar in his hall and living room. In an apparent bid to receive a pay out, jailed IRA That is certainly not the case around Ballinamore. I could hardly see it for tears, Doreen Swinburn, Walters mother, remembers of her joy when we speak by telephone. And when I was looking at this horse, I was thinking: why is there such silence and controversy? Another would not cause any attention. Police have now passed the skull to the Garda team at Naas, in Co Kildare, which is responsible for the The brass nameplate on Secretariats stall door will remain there. "After that, it was just a case of old-fashioned walking up laneways and knocking on doors and trying to track down people who had some connection with the case. During his first season he "covered" 35 mares, with owners paying up to 80,000 a time for the privilege of having a colt or filly by Shergar. The Late Late Show ran a special on emigration before Christmas. Millars research brought her to Leitrim and the wild landscape outside Ballinamore. 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. Shergar, a beloved thoroughbred racehorse worth over $15 million, was kidnapped from his stable in County Kildare by a gang of machine gun-wielding men in balaclavas. They found the horse just as they imagined. During the 18 days Cleo sMITH spent being held in a home in Carnarvon in Western Australia, her hair had been completely changed by her abductor. He made it look so easy. It was believed Shergar valued at 10m was taken by the IRA, which was short of money and looking for new sources of funding. Stan Cosgrove, now 81, who spent more than 80,000 trying to get the horse back and, later, in trying to prove that Shergar was dead, has never received a penny. And Shergar wouldnt let his jacket go.. Mr Foley said the remains were hidden in a sack at the bottom of a ditch. This process is referred to as a caricature of police bungling, as the actual police werent notified until 8 hours after Shergar was taken and the men were long gone from the area. Most domesticated horses in the world today are used to ride and to do farm or ranch work. Who was the greatest racehorse sire of all time? However, by then Mallon was under surveillance, the Garda were crawling all over Ireland and he felt it was impossible to move Shergar or free the horse close to where it was being held. The book identified Kevin Mallon, a senior IRA leader, as the man who had devised the plot. The IRA, in one of its most audacious plans, abducted the 1981 Derby winner from the Ballymany stud, in Co Kildare. Shergar, scheduled to cover up to 55 mares a year, has put 42 of his first 44 mares in foal. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. The question you have to ask is: why else would anyone use a pistol to shoot a racehorse? Searching For Shergar, the work of Erica Starling Productions, will be shown on Sunday at 8pm on BBC2 before being repeated in Ireland on RTE1 at 9.30pm on Tuesday. They all suffered in some way. "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. The IRA plan was also stupid; none of the kidnappers had a clue how to handle a horse, let alone an excitable stallion. 35 foals. Members of the 34-share syndicate could face huge losses if he is damaged. Red Rum did not have any foals. As he was freed the kidnappers told him their chilling terms. (In a bitter twist, Stan Cosgrove would discover that his did not).
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