Gardai investigate the discovery of the remains of a horse in Kerry.
A skull, which had two bullet holes, was found in a glen three miles from Tralee. There are claims that the remains of the animal could be those of the racehorse Shergar.
Shergar was regarded by many as the fastest horse in the world. A winner of both the Irish and English Derby and the King George and Queen Elizabeth stakes, Shergar was kidnapped from Ballymany Stud Farm in 1983. Exactly what happened to Shergar remains a mystery.
Since then, Shergar has been reported to be in a freezer in Leitrim, a plot in Donegal, and alive and well in Libya.
The latest speculation on Shergar relates to a discovery of a skull by local councillor Tommy Foley at Foley's Glen, three miles outside Tralee. Gardaí have now taken possession of the remains. Detective Sergeant John Brennan said that it appeared to be the skull of a horse, but at this stage, there is no confirmation.
Des Leyden of the Irish Equine Centre said this is not the first time speculation has been made about the discovery of Shergar's remains. A previous discovery of animal remains under a tarpaulin turned out to be a horse that would have been used to pull dairy carts rather than run the derby. Other discoveries turned out not to be horse remains at all.
Tests are being carried out to see if the remains are those of Shergar, but this may take some time. For now, the 17 year mystery of the whereabouts of Shergar goes on.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 13 April 2000. The reporter is Dympna Moroney.
