Horses are often Read more, Horsehair is used for the crafts of horsehair hitching, horsehair braiding, pottery, and in making jewelry items such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings and barrettes. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. Where is Shergar? became a sort of cliche of the time, along with Who Shot JR?, the smiling villain from the TV show Dallas. 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. "I can still remember that night in that car with them lads. They did. That is something we haven't got," he once said. It was the world's most famous racehorse when it was kidnapped by an armed IRA gang in 1983 and disappeared forever. She says: "He would have been in the middle of it.". Alison, who has been fascinated by the disappearance of Shergar since her early years, researched the existing material meticulously and found some of the so-called 'exclusives' less than accurate. It was a very bloody death.". When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph, he refused to discuss the case. He was stolen at night along with his groom, who was held at gunpoint in the horse van before being released 20 miles away. Were William Butler Yeats alive, his passion for Celtic myth and legend would seize upon the story of Shergar. of Shergar. That summer was one of coronation for Shergar. Before the kidnap, Shergar was worth 10m. She says: "Sean wrote letters from Maghaberry to Liam on a frequent basis, sometimes two a week, during the early-1990s. 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. Stud fees were set at around 80,000 for each time it covered a brood mare. Mr Reynolds, 46, who was Fine Gael MP for Sligo/Leitrim for 20 years, until last year, said: "According to folklore, Shergar lies buried in an outlying farm near Ballinamore. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. 19-year-old English jockey Walter Swinburn on Shergar, after winning the Derby at Epsom, 3rd June 1981, Walter Swinburn wins the Derby on Shergar in 1981, Shergar, ridden by a 19-year-old Walter Swinburn, wins the Derby by 10 lengths at Epsom, 3rd June 1981, The Aga Khan leads Shergar in after his Derby win, Portrait of Shergar at his stables in Newmarket, England, taken in 1980, Walter Swinburn and Shergar made a formidable partnership. By then, a silence had begun about Shergar that would stretch for four decades. Forty years on, the taking of Shergar remains such a bizarre and shameful episode in Irish history that it only makes sense when set against the lush scenes and ecstatic cheering of his immortal season. Now, chief reporter Andrew Alderson has solved the mystery of Shergar's final hours, why his remains have never Millars research brought her to Leitrim and the wild landscape outside Ballinamore. After driving him around for three hours, the kidnappers dumped Fitzgerald out of the car. The Sunday Telegraph reported that four days after Shergar was seized, the Army Council realized they would never collect a ransom. More are on the way. 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. John Waynes Monument Valley Horseback Ride, Wyatt Earps Vendetta Ride Tombstone Arizona Territory. the gang and the Aga Khan. When Alison set out to make the documentary, she figured that 35 years after the kidnapping and the new atmosphere in Ireland - at that time the Troubles were at their height - tongues may have been loosened and people would be more willing to talk about the incident. Its impossible to buy. The description speaks of the low ignorance of the moment. Share your favorite stories with other history buffs in the IrishCentral History Facebook group. Yes. 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. 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. She draws out of her handbag during our interview a horseshoe given to her by the retired farrier who used to shoe Shergar every month. . It is still the sort of town where locals turn their heads when two British journalists walk into a pub. Red Rum was passed from training yard to training yard until he found his footing with his new trainer McCain. 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. But the end of the case did not deter others on the hunt. But there was an important difference between the two. Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the IRA, and the US Mafia have all been suggested. Shergar was voted European Racehorse of the Year, but he never raced again and was retired to stud. "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. This was it and it was approved by the IRA army council, according to our sources.". If that was not bad enough insurers refused to pay him out, insisting there was no proof that the horse was, indeed, dead. Not only was Man o War one of the immortals of horse racing, he later became a top sire. An Irish councillor claims he had discovered the head of horse racing legend Shergar. Shergar's memorable ten-length Epsom Derby victory of 1981. Police have now passed the skull to the Garda team at Naas, in Co Kildare, which is responsible for the No horse has ever recorded a greater winning margin in the famous race. 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. Win a traditional Aran Sweater for Him & Her from Aran Woollen Mills, The Irish guests who'll attend Joe Biden's State of the Union Address tonight, Cork school group thankful after narrowly avoided Turkey earthquake. The proud former groom still has framed photographs of Shergar in his hall and living room. 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. 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. Four hours later he was released, still blindfolded but unharmed, near Dublin. Once back home, Mr Fitzgerald found his family unharmed. "We have come for Shergar. The man leading the hunt said: "I do not believe any ransom will be paid, and police will block any attempt to pay one.". Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. A source told the paper: "Shergar was machine gunned to death. The IRA plan was naive: they assumed they were blackmailing the Aga Khan for a ransom of 2 million. Should I Get A Pre-Purchase Exam On A Horse? 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. When he was returned to Ireland after her first winning season, he was syndicated for $15 million between 34 people - each share was worth around $382,000, six of which were kept by the Aga Khan. he was worth an estimated $50 million at stud. I understand that. The events of February 1983 threatened that ecosystem. 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. Why Does My Horse Bob Is Head When I Put His Bridle On? The IRA continued to pretend the horse was still alive. The book identified Kevin Mallon, a senior IRA leader, as the man who had devised the plot. His US Triple Crown performances ingrained his place in history. 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. Along with Kathryn, they have obtained information from seven or eight sources that the remains of the iconic thoroughbred lie in a bog in Co Leitrim. But his disappearance remains a mystery. If they had wanted to steal a horse, they couldnt have found a kinder horse,' said Doreen Swinburn. Man o War. A former IRA member told the Sunday Telegraph: "Shergar was machine-gunned to death. They were so lovely and they went through such trauma. He was buried at the winning post of the Aintree Racecourse, which is still a destination for his fans. . What has been discovered almost definitively, according to a close course, was that two handlers, one clutching a machine gun, went into the remote stable where the horse was being held and opened fire. His 306 foals went on to produce such legends as 1964 Derby and Preakness winner Northern Dancer, who himself sired 645 named foals; Mr. The lad with me is a farmer's son, and he knew immediately that the skull came from a racehorse. "People know where Shergar is buried, but the rehearsed silence is unbreakable.". He said: "If Shergar is harmed in any way it will do untold damage to the whole bloodstock industry. 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. (modern). 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.". The body has never been found. He then hung up. But detectives admitted they know nothing yet about the gang. The question you have to ask is: why else would anyone use a pistol to shoot a racehorse? But perhaps its greatest mystery is what happened to Shergar, the racehorse once regarded as the nearest real-life equivalent to Pegasus, the winged horse from Greek mythology. For other inquiries, Contact Us. His frightened family had followed kidnappers' orders to remain silent and it was 5 am yesterday before police were contacted. I had never been in the horse racing world before. Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 13 November 2006), known as Dessie, was an English racehorse. 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. And Shergar wouldnt let his jacket go.. In February 1983, at the height of The Troubles, Ireland faced a truly mysterious crime that remains virtually unsolved. The precise circumstances of Shergar's grisly death are also revealed for the first time. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Of course, the world kept turning and Ireland was beset by problems more profound than a disappeared horse. Tom Foley, an independent member of Kerry county council, found the skull of a racehorse in a deserted gully near Tralee last Saturday. One of the central figures in the documentary is former equine vet Stan Cosgrove, who was also a shareholder in Shergar. The man, who asked not to be identified, said only an expert should kill a horse - there is a spot the size of a thumb nail on the animal's head which the bullet, or humane killer, has to hit to prevent suffering. There was no pressure. Sadly still hasn't been found today just guessing. In a neat turn of phrase, Alison says: "They thought this horse would be their cash cow.". They are hardly being bumped off in such a fashion all over Ireland, are they?". The 10-length winning distance has never been bettered in a race that dates back to 1780. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. But it was a wonderful day and he rode a lovely competent race. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Using coded phrases, the kidnappers soon began negotiations with a representative of the Aga Khan over the telephone but made sure to hang up before 90 seconds passed so that authorities couldnt track their location. 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. After a few miles, Mr Fitzgerald was ordered to get out of the car, to keep walking, not to turn around and not to call the police. Shergar was hailed as the greatest racehorse of all time when he won the 1981 Epsom Derby. As his son, Bernard, answered it, three masked and armed men barged their way in and started ordering the family around. Yes, it is awful, it was a racehorse at the top of its game; yes, it was killed, disappeared. "When you stripped away some of the veneer, you realised that there was very little underneath," she says. Who is the greatest female horse of all time? They approached several locals, but each time was stonewalled when the conversation turned to the horse. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? WebShergar has never been found. "He was a gentleman and he even gave us his mobile telephone number. Rumors abound that the horse was killed just a few hours after the abduction, but the true fate of the horse remains unknown. Love Irish history? Secretariat was buried in a 6 by 6-foot oak casket lined with orange silk, the color used by Claibornes racing stables. He was a very kind horse. . Police said: "They could be common criminals or linked with subversive groups. They found the horse just as they imagined. With the horse valued at 10 million, he offered 40 shares, at 250,000 each, which were quickly snapped up. The Late Late Show ran a special on emigration before Christmas. He's dead." In June 1981 he threw his stable lad and bolted during a workout at Newmarket. He refused to entertain the idea of bowing to the kidnappers' demands. In an apparent bid to receive a pay out, jailed IRA informant Seon O'Callagan claimed the horse died within 24 hours. "I can still remember that night in that car with them lads. 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. Far from having one owner to get the ransom from the IRA had to deal with the multiple owners of shares in the horse some of whom did not want to set a precedent by paying a ransom. In February 1983, Shergar was kidnapped from his stable in Kildare, held for ransom, and brutally killed by his captors who havent been identified. Speculation is that they were unable to handle the stallion and shot him before he ran wild on them. 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. All sorts of thoughts were racing through my head about what they might do to me. The Irish Sea Helped Others said he had been seized for Colonel Gaddafi of Libya in return for arms to the IRA. The IRA has never officially claimed responsibility for stealing the beloved horse. Instead, they were dealing with a syndicate, most of whose insurance policies covered theft. Following this triumph, he had four more major derby wins and was named European Horse of the Year. It is used to make some wall and fine arts paintbrushes. He had a lot of confidence in Shergar. But the next year - when 55 mares were lined up to breed from Shergar - everything changed. Theories over who had kidnapped Shergar have been plentiful. 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They contained names of people in the racing industry, which I knew were accurate from my own research, and that gave me great confidence in what he was saying. Olly Murs breaks down on stage over Caroline Flack 'regret', Fulham's Pereira stretchered off with suspected broken leg in worrying scenes, One dead and seven injured as knifeman goes on bloody rampage near club, 'Meghan killed me - then she mourns me', says estranged dad Thomas Markle, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. It was a very bloody death.. And finally being able to touch all that remains of the wonder horse apart from memories - a little bunch of hairs plucked from its mane and tail shortly before it was kidnapped and given to two young visitors who came to photograph Shergar one day. 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. What happened next is not for the fainthearted. Mr Kehoe, a former Sinn Fein councillor, said he had not sued O'Callaghan because nobody believed him: "He was working for both sides - that's as much as you need to know about what he has to say.". It changed my life, How King Charles III survived threats posed by nationalism on both sides of the Irish Sea, It tastes foul. The stud farm was Ireland's main racecourse and training grounds. A retired milkman from south-west Ireland believes he may have solved the greatest mystery in the history of horse racing after spending Grand National day cleaning up a beauty spot. 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. "Shergar was machine gunned to death. File photograph: Matt Kavanagh. There are several ideas pertaining to what happened to Shergar. Shergars body was never found, and the case remains a mystery. It was believed Shergar valued at 10m was taken by the IRA, which was short of money and looking for new sources of funding. But Ballinamore has form. Native Dancer became so popular that his blood began to dominate the Thoroughbred breed. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. ", 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. He was bred by the Aga Khan and sold for 10 million to an international syndicate when he was retired from racing. 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. Walter rode horses as he found them and that won him many races. In many ways I wanted to call the film the Ghost of Shergar. File photograph: The Irish Times. In this case, the Read more. ", Michael Stoute, who trained the horse to win two Derbys, said: "He was the best I ever had.". 1 Ruffian. By now there were up to eight gunmen on the scene. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Those who looked after and rode Shergar agree that he was one of the kindest, gentlest racehorses ever to grace the racetrack. In 1999, former IRA gunman Sen O'Callaghan published his memoirs, The Informer. 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. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. And so, the greatest racehorse of the century was butchered in the same way that the IRA killed many of its human enemies. No. Bred by the Aga Khan in County Kildare not too far from the stud from which he was eventually taken, Shergar was trained by Sir Michael Stoute in Newmarket. Security was minimal, which reflects a kind of misplaced innocence and trust when it came to Ireland and horses. 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. 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. The horse had retired from racing and had recently embarked on a lucrative career at stud with racehorse owners paying for Shergar to cover their mares in the hope the resulting foal would be another champion. 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. Swinburn would ride two other Derby winners but his surname and glittering career will always be associated with that of Shergar. . They promised more details at noon Yesterday. An Irish police spokesman said they had appealed for Mr Foley to come forward immediately so the find could be investigated. Bank robberies, or hold-ups of cash in transit, was becoming more and more difficult and a new strategy needed to be found. Senior IRA leader Kevin Mallon is thought to be the man who devised the plot. 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 bungled ransom attempt that led to his demise. One said it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. In February 1983, Shergar was kidnapped from his stable in Kildare, held for ransom, and brutally killed by his captors who havent been identified. Cigar lived out his retirement at the Kentucky Horse Parks Hall of Champions in Lexington. Shergar was just five years old when he was snatched in the middle of the night from the Ballymany Stud in Co. Kildare. 35 foals. Thats it.. Shergar, scheduled to cover up to 55 mares a year, has put 42 of his first 44 mares in foal. The champion racehorse won the 1981 Derby by a record of 10 lengths. The Provisional IRA, strapped for cash to fund its campaign, hatched a plan to kidnap the animal for ransom. A shocked Mr Fitzgerald was able to give only a rough outline of the raid. "We are keen to find 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. Even as the case remains unsolved, Taking Shergar offers a new look at this over thirty-year-old mystery. It was left to each member to insure his own share. Many in the Republic, including broad Republican sympathisers, would never have forgiven the IRA and its political wing, Sinn Fein, for machine gunning the equine pride of the nation in cold blood. The kidnappers were told that further proof of Shergars wellbeing was needed. As he was freed the kidnappers told him their chilling terms. Remains were never Read about 10 more mysterious disappearances . One of the most famous animal kidnapping cases the in the world took place in Ireland thirty years ago this Thursday. 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. And especially in that era, the shoulder pad and champagne era, it was very glossy. But detectives believe he is hidden away in an isolated spot. Kidnapped racehorse Shergar was the centre of a 2 million ransom mystery last night. Watch: Irish enjoy a trad session in 1988, in Paddy Reillys pub, NYC, How you can learn Gaelic literature and culture online with a top Irish university, The story behind Ireland's favorite song, The Cranberries "Zombie", How the Irish (and Welsh) invented romantic love. In coldly commercial terms, Shergar was an international commodity: breeding fees went for 80,000. "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. The other - "a very senior IRA man" - agreed to talk to her off the record. And they would go: yes, somebody knows, but we have to move on, love, we dont want to talk about it. And so it proved in the first year at stud, when it produced 35 foals. It is also unlikely that any provision was made for kidnapping in other insurance for the horse.". Although there was some dissent, the members of the syndicate owning shares in Shergar refused to countenance paying over any money and, shortly afterwards, all contact was ended and the mystery deepened. 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.

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