In the wake of the kidnapping, he was the victim of a scam in which the Garda appears not to have been blameless and which cost him many thousands of pounds. When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph, he refused to discuss the case. They forced him to release the horse, before they also took him away with them. 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. Even as the case remains unsolved, Taking Shergar offers a new look at this over thirty-year-old mystery. Read about 10 more mysterious disappearances . WebShergar - Born in County Kildare in 1978 and kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. He said the scene that greeted him at Belfast airport was unreal: "It was like being a film star. 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. How much should we talk about our private life at work? Secretariat Maybe the most well-known racehorse of all time was the first in racing history to be awarded the Horse of the Year Award. 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, A decade ago Sean O'Callaghan, an IRA double killer turned police double agent, used his book, The Informer, to name seven former Provos he claimed had planned and carried out the horse's kidnap. And I want to say the police will block any attempt to pay any ransom.". Piggott was not a man given to excessive emotion but of Shergar he said late in his life: He was one of the best horses of the last hundred years. There was blood everywhere, and the horse even slipped on his own blood. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Revered Irish racehorse Shergar was taken at gunpoint from Ballymany Stud in County Kildare on February 8, 1983, and never seen again. The stud farm was Ireland's main racecourse and training grounds. I understand that. His owner Le Mare always had the dream of winning the Grand National, so Red Rum began training for his new career in steeplechasing. Tom Foley, an independent member of Kerry county council, found the skull of a racehorse in a deserted gully near Tralee last Saturday. 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. 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. Well, if youre not satisfied, came the reply. When she spoke with people, she found them friendly but reticent to speak about her chief subject. Taking Shergar, the first title in the new series, Horses in History, examines this oft-discussed mystery in a new way. The kidnappers had also failed to anticipate the reaction of the people of Ireland - a horse-loving nation - to Shergar's abduction. There was blood everywhere and the horse even slipped on his own blood. 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. he was worth an estimated $50 million at stud. I think Wally and [trainer] Michael Stoute not me, I can assure you, I was the one who was in bits were very good with him. Shergars owners reportedly refused to give in to the two million pound ransom demand for fear of setting a precedent. The kidnappers had agreed to negotiate with a man named Derek Thompson who had worked for ITVs racing team. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. I did find though that people honestly didnt want to talk about it. Of course, the world kept turning and Ireland was beset by problems more profound than a disappeared horse. 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. He had a lot of confidence in Shergar. Fitzpatrick was forced to identify Shergar and was then driven in a van for about half an hour before he was released in the village of Kilcock. Our inquiries led photographer Julian Andrews and me to Ballinamore, a town in Co Leitrim once known as "the Falls Road of the South" because of its support for the Provos. Another engaged a trio of racing correspondents from London to travel to the Europa Hotel in Belfast to await further instructions. 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. Last night police chief Mr Murphy appealed to the gang to return Shergar unharmed. He received a rapturous welcome on his homecoming to the Curragh for the Irish Derby. Alison adds: "The letters also set the context for the period, and when we were fitting the jigsaw together, we never found a piece missing. "It's just three miles from Tralee and it would be a place where you would conceal the remains unseen for years. He flew to Belfast to negotiate at the Europa Hotel. The hunt for Shergar created a huge media storm - everyone in the UK and Ireland were hell-bent on getting him back, and the Dublin police had offered an over $150,000 reward for his return. 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. Ill never forget it. 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. Senior IRA leader Kevin Mallon is thought to be the man who devised the plot. This vivid image of how Shergar died confirmed the worst fears of one of the most senior figures in Irish racing. He was a 25/1 shout for the Derby after trainer Michael Stoute decided to prepare him after his maiden season in 1980. While there was a massive hunt for the horse and several different ransom requests were made, the horse was never seen or heard from again. 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. She still believes that there are people who have a knowledge of where the remains of the horse lie buried. The disappearance of the iconic racehorse, suspected to be the work of the IRA, has fascinated people for more than three decades. If that was not bad enough insurers refused to pay him out, insisting there was no proof that the horse was, indeed, dead. And there is a separate sadness, too, in that Swinburn, after coming through the vicissitudes of flat racing, would die from injuries sustained from an accidental fall at his home in London, in 2016. Alison has no doubt. His US Triple Crown performances ingrained his place in history. Along with triple Grand National winner Red Rum, it remains probably the most famous horse to come out of Europe in the last century. The gang struck as stud head groom Jim Fitzgerald and his family were relaxing after dinner at their home in Ballymany, near Newbridge in County Kildare. Unlike today, there were no electronic security gates, CCTV cameras or an intercom to gain access - even though the horses inside were sometimes worth millions of pounds each. The abduction sparked a massive hunt, but, according to a former IRA terrorist, Sean O'Callaghan, Shergar was killed within days. Mr Foley said the remains were hidden in a sack at the bottom of a ditch. 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. Alison, through her old-fashioned journalistic techniques of following up every lead, gained interviews with two leading IRA figures, one of whom appears in the film. I received various messages after the film and all sorts of controversial theories afterwards that I was emailed. 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He was astonished to find it was pierced by two bullet holes. But I honestly don't think Shergar's grave will ever be found.". 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. It was several minutes before the horse, which was in agony, slowly bled to death. And Shergar wouldnt let his jacket go.. of Shergar. His reluctance to talk is understandable. More are on the way. The IRA has never officially claimed responsibility for stealing the beloved horse. Sadly still hasn't been found today just guessing. There is a general acceptance of who was behind the kidnapping of Shergar. But it was a wonderful day and he rode a lovely competent race. Four days after the kidnap, a last phone call came through to Paris. Security was minimal, which reflects a kind of misplaced innocence and trust when it came to Ireland and horses. . 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. "We want 2 million if you want the horse back in one piece," they said. Derby winner Shergar was kidnapped by an IRA gang from a stud in Co Kildare 17 years ago. Revered Irish racehorse Shergar was taken at gunpoint from Ballymany Stud in County Kildare on February 8, 1983, and never seen again. Following this triumph, he had four more major derby wins and was named European Horse of the Year. Now, chief reporter Andrew Alderson has solved the mystery of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never Who Owns The Largest Horse Farm In Kentucky? This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. A former IRA member told the Sunday Telegraph: "Shergar was machine-gunned to death. The bronze, a replica of a statue at Aintree, is worth pounds 10,000. They insisted on dealing only with the Aga Khans office in Paris. Mr Foley, who used to enjoy betting on Shergar, said yesterday: "I found the skull in a sack hidden behind a rock in a dip. The 10-length winning distance has never been bettered in a race that dates back to 1780. Rather than leave the horse, they killed it. The Sunday Telegraph reported that four days after Shergar was seized, the Army Council realized they would never collect a ransom. He refused to entertain the idea of bowing to the kidnappers' demands. The IRA plan was naive: they assumed they were blackmailing the Aga Khan for a ransom of 2 million. "We are keen to find Shergar. Who was the greatest racehorse sire of all time? 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. Tommy Foley, from Tralee in Co Kerry, said he found the remains of the stallions skull last Saturday during an annual clean up of a glen outside the West Ireland town. 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. August 26, 1984. Shergar wins the Derby - and you need a telescope to see the rest. - Peter Bromley, BBC Radio, June 3rd, 1981. The book identified Kevin Mallon, a senior IRA leader, as the man who had devised the plot. They lived in that other world.. the gang and the Aga Khan. 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. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. The sinister end to a beautiful episode in Irish sport; the freakish clash of paramilitarism and high-end horse breeding and the abrupt and sudden silence has made Shergar seem like a symbol of everything that was warped about Ireland on both sides of the Border. Shergar would be easily recognisable among other horses from the distinctive big white blaze on his face and three white socks.

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