Those hairs would be invaluable DNA evidence if any remains of the animal are ever found. By day four, an impasse had been reached. Theories over who had kidnapped Shergar have been plentiful. 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. 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. And so, the greatest racehorse of the century was butchered in the same way that the IRA killed many of its human enemies. Rumors abound that the horse was killed just a few hours after the abduction, but the true fate of the horse remains unknown. 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. Of course, the world kept turning and Ireland was beset by problems more profound than a disappeared horse. 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. Well, if youre not satisfied, came the reply. His death was one of the lead items in television news bulletins and also made the front pages of national newspapers the next day. Even then, the consensus was that if a ransom were paid, every racehorse in the country would become a potential target. Ill never forget it. Lawyer Owen Tebbs, who organised the syndicate for the Aga, said: "It is quite likely many have not taken out insurance. It changed my life, How King Charles III survived threats posed by nationalism on both sides of the Irish Sea, It tastes foul. But no contact was made. 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. In coldly commercial terms, Shergar was an international commodity: breeding fees went for 80,000. Shergar, scheduled to cover up to 55 mares a year, has put 42 of his first 44 mares in foal. But it wasnt just any horse. It was the world's most famous racehorse when it was kidnapped by an armed IRA gang in 1983 and disappeared forever. She still believes that there are people who have a knowledge of where the remains of the horse lie buried. "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. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 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. 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. 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. Millars research brought her to Leitrim and the wild landscape outside Ballinamore. The description speaks of the low ignorance of the moment. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. Hunter discovers skeletal remains of N.J. man missing for months A shocked Mr Fitzgerald was able to give only a rough outline of the raid. "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. Copyright 2023 Irish Studio LLC All rights reserved. Searching for Shergar, BBC One Northern Ireland, Thursday, June 7, Receive today's headlines directly to your inbox every morning and evening, Please check your inbox to verify your details, I thought Id be hauled over the coals, but my boss suggested I see a doctor. In an apparent bid to receive a pay out, jailed IRA Fitzgerald was then forced into their car at gunpoint. "There is a possibility that it was him because when Shergar was abducted there was a Kerry connection.". 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. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Instead, they were dealing with a syndicate, most of whose insurance policies covered theft. Hes with his father Wally; boyish, serious, not remotely fazed. 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. 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. Co Leitrim, which even now has a population of just 26,000, has kept many secrets during the 30 years of the Troubles. 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. It is used to make some wall and fine arts paintbrushes. 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. It was a sort of exasperation: oh, you dont want to talk about that horse. Cosgrove didnt doubt this was Shergar but it was impossible to tell if the horse was even alive. He made it look so easy. Shergar was retired to stud at the end of its Derby-winning year and immediately became the most valuable horse at that time. Share your favorite stories with other history buffs in the IrishCentral History Facebook group. Kidnapped horse Shergar's fate unknown But the horse was kidnapped by an armed gang in 1983. Several owners are understood to have failed to win insurance payouts because, with no body ever found, there was no proof that the stallion was dead. 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. File photograph: Matt Kavanagh.

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