A Scannal Two-Part Special
PART ONE – RTÉ ONE 7PM TUESDAY 10TH May
“What do you mean there was nothing under the statues? I just sent word to my men to chop off two of his fingers.” – Dessie O’Hare
In October 1987 the whole country was gripped by an event that was played out in the media for over 40 days. The two main protagonists were a former terrorist known as the Border Fox and an unknown dentist. Over the course of those weeks the whole country came to know the name of that unknown dentist, John O’Grady, and the violent gang-leader, Dessie O’Hare, who kept him captive. For the first time in 18 seasons, Scannal, in a two-part special, tells the story of the kidnapping of John O’Grady. It’s a brutal story from a brutal time in the shadow of the Troubles, that involves a high-profile kidnapping, mistakes on the part of both the criminal gang and the Gardaí, shoot outs and high-speed chases across the country, graphic violence and death.
Part One
On the 15th October 1987, it was reported in the media that the kidnapping had taken place of a Dublin dentist from his home in Cabinteely, Dublin. Two days earlier a gang had forced their way into the house and subjected John O’Grady and his family to a terrible ordeal. The next morning John O’Grady is taken, and his wife Marise is told not to contact the Gardaí, so she rings her father and tells him that for the safe return of her husband, the gang want a ransom of £300,000 paid.
Dr. Austin Darragh was a prominent and well-known businessman of the time and a regular contributor to the Gay Byrne Show on RTÉ radio. The gang had intended to kidnap Austin and not his son-in-law but Dr Darragh had not lived at that address for many years since his daughter and her husband had moved in. The doctor rang his son Dave Darragh and they went to the Gardaí to inform them. On the evening of the 14th the Gardaí went to the O’Grady house, and after being shown a series of photos Marise O’Grady without hesitation recognized Dessie O’Hare as one of the men. O’Hare was a well-known paramilitary who had joined the IRA at 16 and had recently been released from Portlaoise prison. The Gardaí could understand why the family wanted to pay the ransom but to pay a ransom was illegal in Ireland.
The following day the media started to report on the kidnapping, and the whole country became witnesses to the dramatic events. The family, the Gardaí and the country waited for news as the kidnappers were slow to make contact. Roadblocks were set up around the country at locations that the Gardaí felt the Border Fox and his gang would take O’Grady. Over the next 6 weeks children were told to go to bed or the Border Fox would get them, as the Gardaí went door to door across the country looking for information.
On Monday 26th October Gardaí were informed that armed men were seen at a container in a field in Ballymacsliney, near Middleton in Cork. Some unarmed Gardaí from Middleton barracks drove out to investigate. When they arrived at the container, they became suspicious and left to get back up, without leaving anyone to keep watch, or organizing a roadblock around the area.
It transpired that the gang had seen the Gardaí when they first arrived and immediately went into action to get themselves and O’Grady out of the area. When armed Gardaí arrived back, the gang were already making good their escape, shooting their way out and hijacking vehicles.
On Thursday 29th October Dessie O’Hare contacts Hilary Prentice, a solicitor friend of O’Grady, his first communication since the kidnapping over 15 days earlier. He gave instructions to go to Limerick Cathedral to pick up a ransom note. He said the note would be left under a statue of Our Lady at the thirteenth Station of the Cross. The family sent a family friend the next day but could not find the note. O’Hare’s gang had made a mistake: they’d left the note under a statue of St Theresa instead.
On the 3rd November O’Hare rang Prentice for an update and became outraged when she said they had not found any ransom note. In the call he told Prentice that he was going to chop off O’Grady’s fingers – and if the ransom wasn’t paid he would then chop him up into little pieces. The audio of this phone call features in the programme and gives a horrific insight into the type of character the family were dealing with.
“….now I’m going to chop him into bits and pieces and send fresh lumps of him every fxxxxing day if I don’t get my money fast.”
After the call O’Hare bought a hammer and chisel in a hardware store and returned to where O’Grady was being kept. He forced O’Grady to write a new ransom note, now demanding £1.5 million in ransom money, and then chopped off O’Grady’s little fingers with the hammer and chisel. He then rang Hilary Prentice again and told her that there was a new ransom note in Carlow Cathedral.
When the Gardaí got to Carlow Cathedral they found three envelopes: one with the ransom note; one with pictures of O’Grady holding up his severed hand; and one with the tops of his two little fingers. Dr Austin Darragh and his son Dave told the Gardaí that, although they know it was against the law, the family were going to pay the ransom.
Family friend Fr Brian D’Arcy was the person asked by the family to act as the intermediary and travel to an agreed location with the cash. But events would take another dramatic turn: on Thursday 5th November on the same day that Fr Brian D’Arcy was bringing the £1.5 million to the Silver Springs Hotel in Cork, two Garda detectives travelled to Dublin to follow up on a lead from the Garda search of the container in near Middleton, one of the locations where O’Grady had been kept.
A pass for the Guinness Leisure Centre that was found there had led them to an address in Dublin. But they had no idea what they were about to find.
The Programmes
Scannal’s retelling of this incredible story over two episodes features, among others, first-hand testimony from Dave Darragh, son of intended kidnap victim Dr Austin Darragh and brother-in-law to John O’Grady, who has spoken only rarely about the ordeal, and Darragh family friend, Fr Brian D’Arcy, who was told by the Gardaí that on delivering the ransom, there was a high chance he might not come out alive.
CLÁRACHA GAEILGE RTÉ 2022
Scannal – Fuadach O’Grady agus an Border Fox
Clár Speisialta Dhá Chuid de Scannal
CUID A hAON – 7PM DÉ MÁIRT AN 10 BEALTAINE AR RTÉ ONE
“Ní raibh dada faoi na dealbha, céard atá i gceist agat? Tá mé díreach tar éis scéal a chur chuig m’fhir dhá mhéar a baint de.” – Dessie O’Hare
Bhí an tír ar fad an-tógtha le heachtra a pléadh ó thús deireadh sna meáin ar feadh 40 lá i nDeireadh Fómhair 1987. Bhí dhá phríomhphearsa sa scéal – iarsceimhlitheoir, a dtugtaí an Border Fox air, agus fiaclóir anaithnid. I gcaitheamh na seachtainí sin chuir an tír ar fad aithne ar an bhfiaclóir sin gan iomrá, John O’Grady, agus ar an gceannaire foréigneach buíne, Dessie O’Hare, a bhí á choinneáil i ngéibheann. Den chéad uair in 18 séasúr de Scannal, inseofar an scéal faoi fhuadach John O’Grady i gclár dhá chuid speisialta. Is scéal brúidiúil é a tharla i dtréimhse bhrúidiúil faoi scáth na dTrioblóidí, lenar bhain fuadach ardphróifíle, botúin ar an dá thaobh, botúin a rinne an bhuíon choirpeach agus na Gardaí araon, tréanbhabhtaí lámhaigh agus tóir ardluais ar fud na tíre, foréigean grafach agus bás.
Cuid a hAon
Tuairiscíodh sna meáin ar an 15 Deireadh Fómhair 1987 gur fuadaíodh fiaclóir as Baile Átha Cliath óna theach i gCábán tSíle, Baile Átha Cliath. Dhá lá roimhe sin bhris buíon isteach sa teach céanna agus thug drochíde amach is amach do John O’Grady agus a mhuintir. Tógadh John O’Grady an mhaidin dar gcionn, dúradh lena bhean, Marise, gan teagmháil a dhéanamh leis na Gardaí agus, mar sin, ghlaoigh sí ar a hathair agus d’inis dó go raibh an bhuíon ag iarraidh go n-íocfaí £300,000 leo chun go scaoilfí a fear saor go slán sábháilte.
Fear gnó mór le rá agus iomráiteach a bhí san Dr Austin Darragh ag an am agus ghlac páirt sa Gay Byrne Show ar RTÉ radio go rialta. Bhí sé i gceist ag an mbuíon Austin a fhuadach agus ní a mhac cleamhnais ach níor mhair an Dr Darragh ag an seoladh sin ó bhog a iníon agus a fear isteach ann blianta fada roimhe sin. Ghlaoigh an dochtúir ar a mhac Dave Darragh agus chuaigh siad chuig na Gardaí chun an scéal a insint dóibh. Ar thráthnóna an 14 lá chuaigh na Gardaí go dtí tigh O’Grady agus thaispeáin sraith grianghraf do Marise O’Grady, d’aithin sí Dessie O’Hare ar an bpointe boise mar dhuine de na fir. Ba pharaimíleatach mór le rá a bhí in O’Hare a chuaigh isteach san IRA nuair a bhí sé 16 bliana d’aois. Ní raibh sé i bhfad scoilte amach as príosún Phort Laoise ag an am. Thuig na Gardaí an t-údar a raibh an teaghlach ag iarraidh an t-airgead fuascailte a íoc ach bhí sé in aghaidh an dlí sin a dhéanamh in Éirinn.
Thosaigh na meáin ag tuairisciú ar an bhfuadach an lá dar gcionn agus dá bhrí sin chonaic an tír ar fad na himeachtaí drámatúla ag titim amach. D’fhan muintir O’Grady, na Gardaí agus an tír ar fad ar scéala ó na fuadaitheoirí ach thóg siad a n-am. Socraíodh suas baic bhóthair in áiteanna ar fud na tíre a raibh na Gardaí den tuairim go bhféadfadh an Border Fox agus a bhuíon O’Grady a thabhairt. Fad a chuaigh na Gardaí ó dhoras go doras ag iarraidh eolais i gcaitheamh na 6 seachtain i ndiaidh sin dúradh le leanaí na tíre dul a chodladh nó bhéarfadh an Border Fox greim orthu.
Dúradh leis na Gardaí Dé Luain an 26 Deireadh Fómhair go bhfacthas fir armtha ag coimeádán i ngarraí i mBaile Mhic Shleimhne, in aice le Mainistir na Corann i gCorcaigh. Thiomáin roinnt Gardaí gan airm ó bheairic Mhainistir na Corann ann chun an scéal a fhiosrú. Nuair a shroich siad an coimeádán, bhuail amhras iad agus d’fhág siad an áit gan aon duine fágtha ina ndiaidh le súil a choinneáil ar chúrsaí nó gan aon bhac bóthair a shocrú suas timpeall na háite.
Mar a tharlaíonn sé, bhí na Gardaí feicthe ag an mbuíon an chéad uair a tháinig siad agus thosaigh siad ag obair ar an bpointe leis an áit a fhágáil agus O’Grady a thabhairt leo. Nuair a tháinig na Gardaí armtha ar ais bhí an bhuíon ar tí éalú as an áit, iad ag scaoileadh urchar leo agus ag fuadach feithiclí.
Ar an Déardaoin an 29 Deireadh Fómhair rinne Dessie O’Hare teagmháil le Hilary Prentice, cara le O’Grady ar dhlíodóir í. Ba é sin an chéad uair ag aon duine cloisteáil uaidh ó tharla an fuadach 15 lá roimhe sin. Thug sé treoir go rachadh duine éigin chuig Ardeaglais Luimnigh le nóta fuascailte a phiocadh suas. Dúirt sé go mbeadh an nóta fágtha faoi dhealbh den Mhaighdean Mhuire ag tríú Turas na Croise déag. Chuir an teaghlach cara leo ann an lá dár gcionn ach chinn sé air an nóta a fháil. Bhí botún déanta ag buíon O’Hare: bhí an nóta fágtha faoi dhealbh de Naomh Treasa acu agus ní faoin Mhaighdean Mhuire.
Ghlaoigh O’Hare ar Prentice ar an 3 Samhain leis an scéal ba dhéanaí a fháil agus bhuail taom oilc é nuair a dúradh leis nár fuarthas aon nóta fuascailte. Dúirt sé le Prentice le linn an ghlaoigh go raibh sé le méara O’Grady a ghearradh de – agus mura n-íocfaí an t-airgead fuascailte ghearrfadh sé O’Grady féin suas ina phíosaí beaga. Tá taifead den ghlaoch gutháin sin le cloisteáil sa chlár agus tugann léargas uafásach ar an gcineál duine a raibh ar an teaghlach déileáil leis.
“….gearrfaidh mé suas ina phíosaí beaga anois é agus seolfaidh mé meallta úra de chugaibh gach fxxxxing lá mura bhfaighim mo chuid airgid sciobtha.”
Nuair a bhí an glaoch thart cheannaigh O’Hare casúr agus siséal i siopa crua-earraí agus chuaigh ar ais go dtí an áit a raibh O’Grady coinnithe aige. Chuir sé iallach ar O’Grady nóta fuascailte nua a scríobh, é anois ag éileamh £1.5 milliún in airgead fuascailte, agus ansin bhain sé laidhricíní O’Grady de leis an gcasúr agus an siséal. Ghlaoigh sé ar Hilary Prentice arís ansin agus dúirt sé léi go raibh nóta fuascailte nua fágtha in Ardeaglais Cheatharlach.
Nuair a shroich na Gardaí Ardeaglais Cheatharlach fuair siad trí chlúdach litreach: ceann ina raibh an nóta fuascailte; ceann ina raibh grianghraif de O’Grady agus a lámh loite in airde aige; agus ceann ina raibh barr a chuid laidhricíní. Dúirt an Dr Austin Darragh agus a mhac Dave leis na Gardaí go raibh siad leis an airgead fuascailte a íoc cé gur thuig siad go raibh sé in aghaidh an dlí.
Ba é cara an teaghlaigh, an tAthair Briain D’Arcy, an té a bhí le bheith ina idirghabhálaí agus a thabharfadh an t-airgead go dtí an áit a aontaíodh leis an mbuíon. Ach tháinig cor dramatúil eile sa scéal: ar Déardaoin an 5 Samhain, an lá céanna ar a raibh an tAthair Brian D’Arcy le £1.5 milliún a thabhairt chomh fada le hÓstán an Silver Springs i gCorcaigh, chuaigh beirt bhleachtairí de chuid na nGardaí go Baile Átha Cliath le leid a fuarthas nuair a rinneadh an coimeádán in aice le Mainistir na Corann a chuardach, ceann de na háiteanna a coinníodh O’Grady, a fhiosrú.
Threoraigh pas chuig Ionad Fóillíochta Guinness a fuarthas ann chuig seoladh i mBaile Átha Cliath iad. Ach ní raibh cliú dá laghad acu faoin méid a bheadh rompu.
Na Cláracha
Mar chuid d’athinsint Scannal in dhá eipeasóid ar an scéal dochreidte seo beidh, i measc nithe eile, fianaise phearsanta ó Dave Darragh, mac an fhir a bhí beartaithe ag an mbuíon a fhuadach, an Dr Austin Darragh agus deartháir cleamhnais John O’Grady, nár labhair rómhinic faoinar tharla dó, agus cara mhuintir Darragh, an tAthair Brian D’Arcy, a raibh sé ráite ag na Gardaí leis go bhféadfaí go marófaí é agus é ag tabhairt an airgid fuascailte chuig an mbuíon.