"The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Then How many races did Shergar lose? 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. 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. Taking the horse was relatively simple and the details were recounted in newspaper reports that circulated around the world in the days afterwards. He found his way to a telephone and rang his brother - this phone call led to a series of phone calls between Shergars shareholders, his vet, racing associates and several Irish Ministers. How much should we talk about our private life at work? Shergar sired 35 foals, including Authaal, who was bought as a yearling by Sheikh Mohammed for Ir3,100,000gns and went on to win the Irish St Leger, and Maysoon, who won the Fred Darling Stakes and reached the places in the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks. Senior IRA leader Kevin Mallon is thought to be the man who devised the plot. Lawyer Owen Tebbs, who organised the syndicate for the Aga, said: "It is quite likely many have not taken out insurance. There was blood everywhere and the horse even slipped on his own blood. The search for the last resting place of Shergar It was the world's most famous racehorse when it was kidnapped by an armed IRA gang in 1983 and "A clue? Shergar began his first season of racing in September 1980 and ran two races that year, where he won one and came second in the other. The Aga Khan, Shergars owner, sent the horse for training in Britain in 1979 and 1980. It is also widely believed his kidnappers buried him in a bog in Co. Leitrim, though some think they dumped him into the sea of Irelands south coast. 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It was a very bloody death." "We have come for Shergar. Police are investigating after human remains were found in a large plastic container last week in a New Jersey neighborhood near New York City. There were cameras all around." By the evening of the fourth day, although distressed by his new surroundings, he was not badly injured, as O'Callaghan had thought. Mallon is described by those who know him, including former paramilitaries, as a "head case". It was not until about 4am that the Garda was alerted - and one of the biggest security operations in the Republic's history swung into action. Physically, he was a distinctive beauty: the white blaze on the nose, the four white socks. 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. When I was making the Disappeared with Darragh McIntyre, there was a genuine fear about things from the past. What Colors Can Rocky Mountain Horses Be? I doubt anyone has been there for years. Until a decade ago this was "bandit country", the remote hills and marshlands from where the IRA and its supporters smuggled arms over the border and planned their raids on the security forces in Northern Ireland. Shergar, scheduled to cover up to 55 mares a year, has put 42 of his first 44 mares in foal. the gang and the Aga Khan. 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. A source told the paper: "Shergar was machine gunned to death. She still believes that there are people who have a knowledge of where the remains of the horse lie buried. A convicted killer from Co. Tyrone, he eventually became part of IRA folklore after shooting his way out of one prison and being lifted by helicopter from another. It remains the sporting world's most infamous unsolved crime: the theft and subsequent disappearance of legendary 'super-horse' Shergar. There was widespread relief when at the end of his career, instead of being shipped to one of the large American studs as expected, Shergar was returned to his birthplace of Ireland. I remember Willie Carson it was Willie he bumped said that it was nothing afterwards.. Someone has daubed "PIRA [Provisional IRA]" in purple crayon on his white garden wall. Then, after the Shergar fiasco, another supermarket boss, Don Tidey, was also kidnapped and a ransom demanded. Photograph: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. But on that day in June 1981, the pair owned the day. "There were two bullet holes in the head and it was definitely a racehorse's head," he said. On February 8, 1983, an armed gang burst into the home of Shergar's groom at Ballymany Stud farm in the Curragh, Co Kildare, forced him to load it into a horsebox and drove off, creating a mystery even beyond the imagination of Dick Francis, the celebrated racing novelist. 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. In 2018, the Belfast-based documentary maker succeeded in making a film, Searching for Shergar, which is at once a warm evocation of his splendid life and an examination of the eerie void left by the manner of his death. 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. There was blood everywhere and the horse even slipped on his own blood. 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. Why Does My Horse Bob Is Head When I Put His Bridle On? He was gelded at a young age, so he was never used for breeding. Negotiations were conducted with the thieves, but the gang broke off all communication View our online Press Pack. Negotiations with the kidnappers continued for four days and a Polaroid photograph was provided, showing Shergar and an up-to-date copy of the Irish Times before the kidnappers suddenly fell silent. Not only was Man o War one of the immortals of horse racing, he later became a top sire. By David Remnick. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. The IRA plan was also stupid; none of the kidnappers had a clue how to handle a horse, let alone an excitable stallion. Rather than leave the horse, they killed it. The remains of a Cherry Hill man reported missing by his family earlier this year were found by a hunter this week in a state park, authorities said.. Peter Myers, 68, 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. He had been preparing for his second season as a breeding stallion, the BBC said. He became a breeding stallion in Ireland with an impressive fertility rate, and still attracted crowds. John Waynes Monument Valley Horseback Ride, Wyatt Earps Vendetta Ride Tombstone Arizona Territory. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. Police were checking on reports that a car and horsebox were seen heading towards the Ulster border at dawn yesterday. What did Cleo sMITHs abductor do to her? Instead, they were dealing with a syndicate, most of whose insurance policies covered theft. Others, including the IRA, argued that O'Callaghan, who died in a swimming pool accident in Jamaica last August, could not be trusted , given how he had spent a long period of his life as an informer against republicans. 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. 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.. Epsom was wreathed in flowers and goodwill and a delight among the crowd at witnessing racing aristocracy: a rare champion, as much vision as animal. But four hours later, he was released and found 40 miles away from the stud farm. But even around the area where the horses remains are alleged to be . 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. All sorts of thoughts were racing through my head about what they might do to me. But I couldnt understand why the way we talk about silence and fear in relation to the past on this island extended to this horse. The Provisional IRA, strapped for cash to fund its campaign, hatched a plan to kidnap the animal for ransom. He was buried near his sire, Bold Ruler, in a small graveyard behind the office at the farm. "These were letters which set out not only what happened to Shergar, but also referred to the kidnapping of people.". Some said it was the Mafia in retaliation for a horse deal with the Aga Khan that had gone wrong. 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. Now, chief reporter Andrew Alderson has solved the mystery of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never We do not even know what kind of accents they spoke with.". Security was very lax.". A common belief is that Shergars remains are buried somewhere in that region of the country. Two armed men forced their way into the house. All rights reserved. Thompson received a phone call the next day from the kidnappers - they said, "The horse has had an accident. There was blood everywhere, and the horse even slipped on his own blood. The Boomtown Rats released Banana Republic. The Late Late Show ran a special on emigration before Christmas. All sorts of thoughts were racing through my head about what they might do to me. The champion racehorse won the 1981 Derby by a record of 10 lengths. "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 there was an important difference between the two. I hope one day we can get to the bottom of what happend. But as hopes faded, the late Detective Chief Superintendent James Murphy, who was leading the inquiry, uttered the immortal line: "If we find the body, we will treat it like any other murder investigation.". A gorgeous few minutes of television interview exists with Walter Swinburn, utterly unflappable and just 19 when he rode Shergar to victory. After failed attempts to demand money for the stallion, gentle Shergar was brutally killed and his body was never found. From that, she was able to confirm that it was, indeed, the IRA who took the horse, killed it shortly afterwards and buried it near the Northern Ireland border. ", Jim Fitzgerald, Shergar's former groom with a photograph of the prize bay stallion: 'He was a grand horse', Kevin Mallon, a convicted killer and senior IRA leader who has been identified as the man behind the plot, The Aga Khan owned six of the 40 shares in Shergar, Donald Trump to arrive in UK in week of Coronation, I wasnt good at being a performing monkey, King reveals in BBC documentary, Sadiq Khans Ulez has turned centre of London into a ghost town, I took a pay cut to get a public sector pension, Technology and slow growth will destroy 14 million jobs by 2027, Jewish leaders want to meet Guardian editor over anti-Semitic Richard Sharp cartoon, Brough Scott: Extraordinary racing machine's callous end. The disappearance of the iconic racehorse, suspected to be the work of the IRA, has fascinated people for more than three decades. That is certainly not the case around Ballinamore. Some horses are treated similar to pets, kept for their companionship and entertainment value. Why CanT I Take My Horse Into Gerudo Desert? The other IRA figure was Kieran Conway, a one-time intelligence chief of the organisation, who had rejoined the organisation after the 1981 hunger strikes. "People know where Shergar is buried, but the rehearsed silence is unbreakable.". 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. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, The disappearance of champion racehorse Shergar remains a mystery, English jockey Walter Swinburn, 19, on Shergar in 1980, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The kidnappers shrewdly chose their date to coincide with a horse sale at Goffs; the verdant roads were teeming with horse trailers. It was the time of horse sales in the area and the roads were full of horseboxes. The Irish horse breeding industry was one of the few bright spots, with 20,000 associated jobs. Shergar's former jockey Walter Swinburn was distressed by the paper's findings. Another engaged a trio of racing correspondents from London to travel to the Europa Hotel in Belfast to await further instructions. Jubilee Farm: The sanctuary in Larne helping refugees and asylum seekers, Life as a pet dog photographer: My rescue dog saved me, now Ive turned my passion into a business, What is Prime Hydration? When proof was eventually presented, it was flimsy: a photo of Shergars head with a copy of a Belfast newspaper from February 9th held against it. Something went wrong, please try again later. Investors thought it was a licence to print money. Kidnapped racehorse Shergar was the centre of a 2 million ransom mystery last night. The description speaks of the low ignorance of the moment. However, according to one impeccable source - a former IRA member who spoke through an intermediary - not even O'Callaghan had been told the full truth of Shergar's final hours, because the gang was so embarrassed by what happened. It is 35 years since Derby winner Shergar was horse-napped from the Ballymany Stud in County Kildare, Ireland. By day four, an impasse had been reached. The truth about Shergar racehorse kidnapping By Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter examiner.co.uk 27 Jan 2008 It is 25 years since a world-famous racehorse was kidnapped by the IRA, never to be seen again. "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. Fitzgerald was then forced into their car at gunpoint. 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 organisation would never admit culpability but Sean OCallaghan, the IRA commander and police informer, in interviews named those he said carried out the act. And I want to say the police will block any attempt to pay any ransom.". We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Shergar was five years old and preparing for his second season as a breeding stallion when he was snatched from the Ballymany Stud in Co Kildare - just a stone's throw from The Curragh racetrack - on a foggy winter's evening. The Sunday Telegraph also tracked down Kevin Mallon to his seafront home in Howth, eight miles from Dublin city centre. 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. And they would go: yes, somebody knows, but we have to move on, love, we dont want to talk about it. And when I was looking at this horse, I was thinking: why is there such silence and controversy? The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Share your favorite stories with other history buffs in the IrishCentral History Facebook group. There was a lot of shrugging and shaking of heads, while Martin Kenny, a Sinn Fein councillor for the town, said: "I have never heard anyone say they knew where Shergar was buried or what happened to him.". Bold Ruler. His reluctance to talk is understandable. Collectively it had been decided not to pay the ransom because they figured if they had, every racehorse in the world would be in danger, as many of them were worth over a million pounds (1.5 million dollars) and Ireland had lacked adequate security. Revered Irish racehorse Shergar was taken at gunpoint from Ballymany Stud in County Kildare on February 8, 1983, and never seen again. Even as the case remains unsolved, Taking Shergar offers a new look at this over thirty-year-old mystery. In February 1983, Shergar was kidnapped from his stable in Kildare, held for ransom, and brutally killed by his captors who havent been identified. There was no pressure. Walter rode horses as he found them and that won him many races. As his second season approached, Shergar was expected to cover at least 55 mares throughout 1983. Seven of the most famous ranch and quarter horse bloodlines are Doc Bar, Driftwood, Two Eyed Jack, Joe Hancock, Playgun, Old Sorrel, and Peppy San Badger. Conspiracy theories soon abounded over who had kidnapped the horse. An armed gang who stole Shergar, winner of the 1981 Derby from the Aga A sign on a railing leading to the stud read: "Please close the gate.". "Thirty-five years after the horse was taken from its stable in Kildare, I wanted to do my own documentary, and the letters proved invaluable in pointing me in certain directions. There was lots of cussin' and swearin' because the horse wouldn't die. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. With an intense garda hunt taking place across the country and the ransom process now a shambles, a decision was made to end the operation. He was a 25/1 shout for the Derby after trainer Michael Stoute decided to prepare him after his maiden season in 1980. Thompson believed he kept the call going long enough to trace the location only to be told by police that the man who did their tracing had clocked off and headed home at midnight. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The bay colt was owned by the Aga Khan, the billionaire spiritual leader to 15 million Ismaili Muslims, was trained by Sir Michael Stoute at Newmarket and was ridden by the "choirboy", an angelic looking 19-year-old jockey called Walter Swinburn, who now trains in Britain. But he had his first budget to deliver the next day, so he "passed the buck" to the justice minister. In this case, the Read more. Those who looked after and rode Shergar agree that he was one of the kindest, gentlest racehorses ever to grace the racetrack. Owner the Aga Khan sold 34 shares in the horse at 250,000 each and kept another six for himself, valuing it at 10m. Shergar wins the Derby - and you need a telescope to see the rest. - Peter Bromley, BBC Radio, June 3rd, 1981. Remains were never found, and what happened to the horse has never been known. It was left to each member to insure his own share. he was worth an estimated $50 million at stud. It was a very bloody death." The thoroughbreds remains have never been found. If that was not bad enough insurers refused to pay him out, insisting there was no proof that the horse was, indeed, dead. When she spoke with people, she found them friendly but reticent to speak about her chief subject. It was a very bloody death.". 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. His death was one of the lead items in television news bulletins and also made the front pages of national newspapers the next day. Irelands economy was ransacked. 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As he was freed the kidnappers told him their chilling terms. He proved infertile as a stallion, as none of the 34 mares bred to him became pregnant. "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. Here we look back on how the Mirror reported the crime at the time. His owner Le Mare always had the dream of winning the Grand National, so Red Rum began training for his new career in steeplechasing. "I can still remember that night in that car with them lads. 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". Jim Fitzgerald, a father of six, was forced at gunpoint to Shergars stable where they were joined by six more masked gunmen. She laughs at the memory before another thought occurs. Its impossible to buy. Shergar ran just eight races in his short life, winning six times. WebShergar was stolen from the Aga Khan's stud farm by an armed gang on 8 February 1983. 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. But I honestly don't think Shergar's grave will ever be found.". The Ballymany Stud is located in County Kildare, Ireland. The Unsolved Mystery of Shergar According to the BBC, The body has never been found. Shergar amassed 295,000 in prize money in 1981 under Stoute's careful handling. However, it is still possible to see, hundreds of feet below and stretching to the horizon, the most sparsely populated terrain in all of Ireland. Hes dead.. The kidnappers had also failed to anticipate the reaction of the people of Ireland - a horse-loving nation - to Shergar's abduction. More importantly, he was also able to confirm a number of different details.". After driving him around for three hours, the kidnappers dumped Fitzgerald out of the car. According to OCallaghan, Shergar had become agitated during transport, badly damaging a leg. Because it was that spirit that haunted those people. There was lots of cursing and swearing because the horse wouldnt die. The champion racehorse won the 1981 Derby by a record of 10 lengths. Eight hours passed before detectives arrived in Ballymany. Yes, it is awful, it was a racehorse at the top of its game; yes, it was killed, disappeared. Who Owns The Largest Horse Farm In Kentucky? No. Where is Shergar? became a sort of cliche of the time, along with Who Shot JR?, the smiling villain from the TV show Dallas. Scientific tests on a skull of a horse found in Ireland have ruled out the possibility that it was the remains of kidnapped racehorse Shergar. No one has ever admitted responsibility for the incident, and the remains of the horse have never been found. The man leading the hunt said: "I do not believe any ransom will be paid, and police will block any attempt to pay one.". Sadly, Liam died suddenly before the making of the programme, but Kathryn is in no doubt he would have loved working on it, using his many contacts to bring fresh perspective to the mystery. Shortly after 8.30pm on February 8, 1983, Jim Fitzgerald, then 53, the head groom who lived at the stud, heard a knock on his door. The other - "a very senior IRA man" - agreed to talk to her off the record. His peerless season, remember, coincided with the dark, muggy summer of the Hunger Strikes. In 2004, he vowed never to talk about the incident again, but Alison managed to get him to speak to camera. Shergar was stolen from Ballymany Stud in Co Kildare on the night of February 9th, 1983. Along with triple Grand National winner Red Rum, it remains probably the most famous horse to come out of Europe in the last century.
