But this turned out to be an elaborate hoax and the real negotiations were going on between. Photograph: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. This vivid image of how Shergar died confirmed the worst fears of one of the most senior figures in Irish racing. Mr Foley, who still has the head, said he had not yet been to the police about the discovery, but planned to do so soon. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. Now is the time to bet like men, he famously counselled. WebShergar was stolen from the Aga Khan's stud farm by an armed gang on 8 February 1983. You can call me Arkle from now on, a voice told ITVs Derek Thompson when the phone eventually rang at 1.15 in the morning. WebShergar - Born in County Kildare in 1978 and kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. They are expected to carry out DNA tests. Cosgrove didnt doubt this was Shergar but it was impossible to tell if the horse was even alive. WebShergar's remains have never been found and the thieves have never been officially identified. On the cold, muggy evening of February 8, 1983, Shergar was kidnapped by a gang of men in balaclavas, thought to be part of the IRA. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. "I was there with a farmer's son and he said it was not an ordinary horse.". In February 1983, Shergar was kidnapped for ransom by the IRA, who killed him when the abduction went wrong and buried his body in a bog in the north of County At his home, Jim Fitzgerald was dismayed when I broke the news about exactly how the horse he had cared for had died. 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. What did Cleo sMITHs abductor do to her? Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. 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 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, . Published by Jennifer Webster on November 28, 2022. But Ballinamore has form. The most valuable horse in the world disappeared without trace. Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the IRA, and the US Mafia have all been suggested. It was a sort of exasperation: oh, you dont want to talk about that horse. I do. Thompson is Shergar was so far out of sight that John Matthias, riding the second-placed Glint of Gold, admitted that in the tumult he was convinced hed won the race. Thats it.. There was lots of cussin' and swearin' because the horse wouldn't die. An Irish councillor claims he had discovered the head of horse racing legend Shergar. But Richard Baerlein, the canny racing correspondent, was so convinced after witnessing Shergar and Swinburn cruise to a 10-length victory at Sandown in April 1981 that he urged punters to get in while the going was good. Now a new BBC One Northern Ireland documentary reveals the thoroughbred is likely buried in a desolate bog in Co Leitrim. Where is Shergar? became a sort of cliche of the time, along with Who Shot JR?, the smiling villain from the TV show Dallas. But it wasnt just any horse. Swirling mist and driving rain threaten to obscure the view from a ridge up in the Iron Mountains, high above County Leitrim. View our online Press Pack. The most valuable horse in the world disappeared without trace. Nobody has ever been charged with the theft. At least six thugs arrived at the stud farm at around 8.30pm and held Jim Fitzgerald, head groom, at gunpoint. 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. and the rest are nowhere. Early in his three-year-old season, Shergar won the race then known as the Guardian Classic Trial at Sandown Park. 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. In a rare and exclusive interview last week, Mr Fitzgerald, now 78, frail and with a full head of white hair, quietly recalled the most terrifying moment of his life, as he was driven away from the stud by three armed men. 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. 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. 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. He was buried at the winning post of the Aintree Racecourse, which is still a destination for his fans. 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. That is certainly not the case around Ballinamore. It was believed Shergar valued at 10m was taken by the IRA, which was short of money and looking for new sources of funding. There were cameras all around." "A vet has confirmed that the holes in the skull are pistol-shots. Four days after the kidnap, a last phone call came through to Paris. "He was a gentleman and he even gave us his mobile telephone number. 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"I do not believe any ransom will be paid. 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. It was several minutes before Shergar bled to death. Stan Cosgrove presented himself but with the hotel heavily staked by plain clothes police officers, no kidnappers appeared. "No horse deserves an ending like that - let alone one as special as Shergar. What happened to Shergar, when was he kidnapped and where Certainly, the operation bore the hallmarks of an IRA plan in that it relied upon immaculate planning, thuggery, ruthlessness and the usual fetish for hokey codenames, delivered tersely down telephones. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Aghrasheeling translates as "meadow of the fairies", but are people still spinning fairy stories? Red Rum died on 18 October 1995, aged 30. "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 gang and the Aga Khan. "When you stripped away some of the veneer, you realised that there was very little underneath," she says. "These were letters which set out not only what happened to Shergar, but also referred to the kidnapping of people.". The champion racehorse won the 1981 Derby by a record of 10 lengths. What Colors Can Rocky Mountain Horses Be? The kidnapping became one of the great mysteries of the 1980s, with constant reports of sightings, but despite a nationwide search no trace of him was ever found. But no contact was made. Shergar's former jockey Walter Swinburn, who rode Shergar at his famous race, was distressed by the findings. Police have now passed the skull to the Garda team at Naas, in Co Kildare, which is responsible for the inquiry into the disappearance of Shergar in 1983. It was left to each member to insure his own share. No-one has ever admitted the theft of Shergar. 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. He was very upset about that, says Doreen Swinburn. By the evening of the fourth day, although distressed by his new surroundings, he was not badly injured, as O'Callaghan had thought. At gunpoint they led Mr Fitzgerald's wife and their five children into one room and locked the door. Man o War. And he came up to Walter and he grabbed his jacket. They all suffered in some way. Shergar ran just eight races in his short life, winning six times. I could hardly see it for tears, Doreen Swinburn, Walters mother, remembers of her joy when we speak by telephone. The kidnappers are widely thought to have been IRA members but much less is known for sure about subsequent events, and Shergar's remains have never been found, while the IRA have never admitted any role in the theft or its aftermath. Shergar, 20 years gone but not forgotten Someone has daubed "PIRA [Provisional IRA]" in purple crayon on his white garden wall. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Shergar, scheduled to cover up to 55 mares a year, has put 42 of his first 44 mares in foal. 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 was born in Kildare in 1978 and kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. The body has never been found. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. That summer was one of coronation for Shergar. A source told the paper: "Shergar was machine gunned to death. From 31 crops to race, First Down Dash has sired 1,462 winners, which includes 258 stakes winners. Jockey Walter Swinburn, who rode Shergar in most of his races, was in India yesterday and had not been told about the horse's disappearance. Shergar won the Espom Derby in England in 1981, romping home by ten lengths, which still remains the record for the longest margin of victory in the famous race. 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. 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. Predictably, the residents claimed to know nothing about Shergar's whereabouts before or after he was killed. The Aga Khan, Shergars owner, sent the horse for training in Britain in 1979 and 1980. I remember Willie Carson it was Willie he bumped said that it was nothing afterwards.. Then How many races did Shergar lose? 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. And so, the greatest racehorse of the century was butchered in the same way that the IRA killed many of its human enemies. Shergar, 40 years on: Codenames, kidnap, clairvoyants and a 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. Many sources and investigators believe that he must be buried near Aughnasheelin, near Ballinamore, County Leitrim. Share your favorite stories with other history buffs in the IrishCentral History Facebook group. As he was freed the kidnappers told him their chilling terms. Were William Butler Yeats alive, his passion for Celtic myth and legend would seize upon the story of Shergar. Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 13 November 2006), known as Dessie, was an English racehorse. Shergar was just five years old when he was snatched in the middle of the night from the Ballymany Stud in Co. Kildare. But I honestly don't think Shergar's grave will ever be found.". An Irish councillor claims he had discovered the head of horse racing legend Shergar. 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. 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. Stud fees were set at around 80,000 for each time it covered a brood mare. It changed my life, How King Charles III survived threats posed by nationalism on both sides of the Irish Sea, It tastes foul. Millars research brought her to Leitrim and the wild landscape outside Ballinamore. There was no pressure. 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. That is something we haven't got," he once said. of Shergar. His reluctance to talk is understandable. But detectives believe he is hidden away in an isolated spot. He was buried near his sire, Bold Ruler, in a small graveyard behind the office at the farm. solve mystery of who kidnapped Shergar The Aga Khan was amazing. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Shergar: kidnapped by the IRA, killed, buried in a bog in north There was lots of cussin' and swearin' because the horse wouldn't die. The horse was the easiest modern-day winner of the Epsom Derby. I hope one day we can get to the bottom of what happend. However, she has happier memories of making the documentary. Indeed, it could well have been from the weapon used to terrorise the groom's family until the gang made their getaway. Derby winner Shergar was kidnapped by an IRA gang from a stud in Co Kildare 17 years ago. 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. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. there was this silence.. The question you have to ask is: why else would anyone use a pistol to shoot a racehorse? Read more, Known in the industry as fake tails, these pieces, just like the best hairpieces for humans, are made from real hair and braided into existing locks to add length and volume. Thieves stole a life-size statue of the triple Grand National winner, Red Rum, from a house in East Meon, Hampshire. In 1981 he ran in six races, winning five of them. His frightened family had followed kidnappers' orders to remain silent and it was 5 am yesterday before police were contacted. From there, the scene moved to Maxwells farmhouse, at a remote location outside Belfast. The search for the last resting place of Shergar He was expected to be a source of profit for the syndicate which owned him. He said the scene that greeted him at Belfast airport was unreal: "It was like being a film star. When the news broke, media from around the world descended on the Republic and three leading racing journalists were asked to come to Northern Ireland in a phone call apparently from the kidnappers. 35 foals. "I can still remember that night in that car with them lads. Just sort of go out there and do your best. "People know where Shergar is buried, but the rehearsed silence is unbreakable.". 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. Even then, the consensus was that if a ransom were paid, every racehorse in the country would become a potential target. When she spoke with people, she found them friendly but reticent to speak about her chief subject. 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. ", In that, she was often assisted by Liam's widow, Kathryn Johnston. Even as the case remains unsolved, Taking Shergar offers a new look at this over thirty-year-old mystery. Those hairs would be invaluable DNA evidence if any remains of the animal are ever found. 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. 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. They approached several locals, but each time was stonewalled when the conversation turned to the horse.
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