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Author Topic:   The Day the GAA was Robbed
zanussi
Senior Member

Posts: 413
From:Thurles
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 10 December 2002 10:37 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for zanussi     Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Was out in Dun Laoghaire last night and I bought the latest Tipp Star from a newsagents out there. Amused to see the story below in it, which has been reprinted as part of a "It happened 25 years ago in Thurles" column. The match in question was the Munster senior hurling final between Cork and Clare, which Cork won handily enough.

Gardai are continuing their search over a wide area for the men who got away with over £24,000 - more than half the gate receipts during last Sunday's Munster senior hurling final at Semple Stadium, Thurles, in an armed hold-up that was all the more audacious by the fact that there was unprecedented security for the attendance at the game for the President, Mr. Patrick Hillary, An Taoiseach, Mr. Jack Lynch and several other members of the cabinet.

Shortly after half-time in the senior game, three men armed with revolvers opened the unlocked door of the counting room under the stand where three officials were checking the day's return approximately £48,000. In the counting room at the time were Tadhg Crowley, Munster Council Treasurer and his nine year old son, Mr. Seamus Power, the former Waterford hurler, a council official now, and Mr. Timmy Grace, Thurles, a stileman on Sunday, who was making his returns. The men wearing wigs and dark glasses, and with cardigans down across their faces to conceal their identities , ordered the officials to lie face down on the ground while they packed £24,594 of the takings (as much as would fit) into a brief case. They warned the officials to stay on the ground for ten minutes after they left, but once the raiders were gone, officials immediately alerted the Gardai.

The most daring aspect of the raid was carried out on the day when there was heavy security at the stadium because of the presence at the game of the President, Mr. Hillery, and the Taoiseach Mr. Lynch. However the large contingent of Gardai were deployed towards the playing area of the stadium, some distance from the counting room, which was unlocked and unguarded.


Gas thing about this whole raid is that it wasn't Dublin, Cork or Limerick criminals. It wasn't the IRA or the INLA. Apparently it was down to some local handiwork with "Boys in Blue" involvement as well. A relative was telling me recently that it was the best night that was ever visited upon the town. The craic in the pubs apparently was fantastic with the news of the daring raid spread all over the town. One local wag was heard to have said that they would have had the whole lot if the GAA boys had to have turned out their pockets. BTW, no one was ever convicted of this crime. That 24k is probably 300,000 euros in today's terms. Not a bad haul at all.

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quietman
Senior Member

Posts: 208
From:clare
Registered: May 2001

posted 10 December 2002 11:43 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for quietman     Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Yeah one of the headlines the next day was 'A robbery all round!' as the game was turning into a cracker until Clare full back Jim Power was harshly sent off when he retalliated after being split by Ray Cummins.

The boys must have had necks like a jockeys ******, but they got away with it, fair play to them.Who knows maybe one of them is reading this board right now wnd having a good laugh about the whole thing!

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Cody's Men
Senior Member

Posts: 123
From:John Locke's home
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 10 December 2002 11:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Cody's Men     Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
I was told a good story yesterday about a fella in Tralee who robbed the Credit Union down there about twenty years ago. He wasn't fully right in the head though. After he robbed the place he went into the local pub around the corner for a pint of Guinness with the bag of money and the mask in his hand needless to say he got caught. He must have worked up a fair thirst I would have thought.
quote:
Originally posted by zanussi:
Was out in Dun Laoghaire last night and I bought the latest Tipp Star from a newsagents out there. Amused to see the story below in it, which has been reprinted as part of a "It happened 25 years ago in Thurles" column. The match in question was the Munster senior hurling final between Cork and Clare, which Cork won handily enough.

Gardai are continuing their search over a wide area for the men who got away with over £24,000 - more than half the gate receipts during last Sunday's Munster senior hurling final at Semple Stadium, Thurles, in an armed hold-up that was all the more audacious by the fact that there was unprecedented security for the attendance at the game for the President, Mr. Patrick Hillary, An Taoiseach, Mr. Jack Lynch and several other members of the cabinet.

Shortly after half-time in the senior game, three men armed with revolvers opened the unlocked door of the counting room under the stand where three officials were checking the day's return approximately £48,000. In the counting room at the time were Tadhg Crowley, Munster Council Treasurer and his nine year old son, Mr. Seamus Power, the former Waterford hurler, a council official now, and Mr. Timmy Grace, Thurles, a stileman on Sunday, who was making his returns. The men wearing wigs and dark glasses, and with cardigans down across their faces to conceal their identities , ordered the officials to lie face down on the ground while they packed £24,594 of the takings (as much as would fit) into a brief case. They warned the officials to stay on the ground for ten minutes after they left, but once the raiders were gone, officials immediately alerted the Gardai.

The most daring aspect of the raid was carried out on the day when there was heavy security at the stadium because of the presence at the game of the President, Mr. Hillery, and the Taoiseach Mr. Lynch. However the large contingent of Gardai were deployed towards the playing area of the stadium, some distance from the counting room, which was unlocked and unguarded.


Gas thing about this whole raid is that it wasn't Dublin, Cork or Limerick criminals. It wasn't the IRA or the INLA. Apparently it was down to some local handiwork with "Boys in Blue" involvement as well. A relative was telling me recently that it was the best night that was ever visited upon the town. The craic in the pubs apparently was fantastic with the news of the daring raid spread all over the town. One local wag was heard to have said that they would have had the whole lot if the GAA boys had to have turned out their pockets. BTW, no one was ever convicted of this crime. That 24k is probably 300,000 euros in today's terms. Not a bad haul at all.


[This message has been edited by Cody's Men (edited 10 December 2002).]

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The Brewery Horse
Member

Posts: 41
From:Kilkenny
Registered: Nov 2002

posted 10 December 2002 12:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for The Brewery Horse     Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
Cody's Men,

If you are from where I think yer from then you might have heard the one about Dick and Sid the kid.
Said persons were imbibing in one of the local hostelries (Fennelly's) when they ran out of money.
Together they crossed the road and into Powers drapery where they purchased a pair of tights between them.
The boys then proceeded to return to the pub with the one pair of tights over two heads and attempted to rob the poor woman behind the counter.
I think it ended up with the landlady sending them home under threat of being barred.
Thats the gist of it and people swear its true.

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the tones
Senior Member

Posts: 235
From:Clare
Registered: May 2001

posted 10 December 2002 12:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for the tones     Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by The Brewery Horse:
Cody's Men,

If you are from where I think yer from then you might have heard the one about Dick and Sid the kid.
Said persons were imbibing in one of the local hostelries (Fennelly's) when they ran out of money.
Together they crossed the road and into Powers drapery where they purchased a pair of tights between them.
The boys then proceeded to return to the pub with the one pair of tights over two heads and attempted to rob the poor woman behind the counter.
I think it ended up with the landlady sending them home under threat of being barred.
Thats the gist of it and people swear its true.


thats where the D'Unbelievables got there sketch from , "dont bother calling the cops,ive cut the phone lines outside"!

What the F**k does Mickey Malone want with Party Horns!?

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The Brewery Horse
Member

Posts: 41
From:Kilkenny
Registered: Nov 2002

posted 10 December 2002 12:51 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for The Brewery Horse     Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by the tones:
thats where the D'Unbelievables got there sketch from , "dont bother calling the cops,ive cut the phone lines outside"!

What the F**k does Mickey Malone want with Party Horns!?


Swear to God. I think it happened in the late 80's. The two are still alive, well and drinking. The pub is closed however.
The landlady refused some friends because they were too young.
The youngest of them was 22.

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Cody's Men
Senior Member

Posts: 123
From:John Locke's home
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 10 December 2002 01:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Cody's Men     Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
That couuld well be true, we were just counting the pubs in Callan the other night at home. There used to be Twenty one pubs serving the town at one time. It must have been some Alcho town then. I think there are Thirteen now. The like of Fennelly's has closed and in recent times the famous Steps has closed to.
There was another story again very true that in the mid eighties the two banks in Callan were robbed. The Gards of corse had no guns so they were put on their hands and knees in the AIB bank and the robbers took the money left AIB went up next door and robbed the BOI all in the one go. I heard recently that it was in the name of the IRA also.
quote:
Originally posted by The Brewery Horse:
Swear to God. I think it happened in the late 80's. The two are still alive, well and drinking. The pub is closed however.
The landlady refused some friends because they were too young.
The youngest of them was 22.


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orion
Senior Member

Posts: 1222
From:U.S.A.
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 10 December 2002 05:11 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for orion     Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
If you fail to see that drawing guns on people and in particular a nine year old boy is not without its consequences, god help us. Hopefully, these guys are where they belong: behind bars...

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Paddy Mac's Tractor
Senior Member

Posts: 949
From:Over the road
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 10 December 2002 10:00 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Paddy Mac's Tractor     Edit/Delete Message Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by zanussi:
Was out in Dun Laoghaire last night and I bought the latest Tipp Star from a newsagents out there. Amused to see the story below in it, which has been reprinted as part of a "It happened 25 years ago in Thurles" column. The match in question was the Munster senior hurling final between Cork and Clare, which Cork won handily enough.

Gardai are continuing their search over a wide area for the men who got away with over £24,000 - more than half the gate receipts during last Sunday's Munster senior hurling final at Semple Stadium, Thurles, in an armed hold-up that was all the more audacious by the fact that there was unprecedented security for the attendance at the game for the President, Mr. Patrick Hillary, An Taoiseach, Mr. Jack Lynch and several other members of the cabinet.

Shortly after half-time in the senior game, three men armed with revolvers opened the unlocked door of the counting room under the stand where three officials were checking the day's return approximately £48,000. In the counting room at the time were Tadhg Crowley, Munster Council Treasurer and his nine year old son, Mr. Seamus Power, the former Waterford hurler, a council official now, and Mr. Timmy Grace, Thurles, a stileman on Sunday, who was making his returns. The men wearing wigs and dark glasses, and with cardigans down across their faces to conceal their identities , ordered the officials to lie face down on the ground while they packed £24,594 of the takings (as much as would fit) into a brief case. They warned the officials to stay on the ground for ten minutes after they left, but once the raiders were gone, officials immediately alerted the Gardai.

The most daring aspect of the raid was carried out on the day when there was heavy security at the stadium because of the presence at the game of the President, Mr. Hillery, and the Taoiseach Mr. Lynch. However the large contingent of Gardai were deployed towards the playing area of the stadium, some distance from the counting room, which was unlocked and unguarded.


Gas thing about this whole raid is that it wasn't Dublin, Cork or Limerick criminals. It wasn't the IRA or the INLA. Apparently it was down to some local handiwork with "Boys in Blue" involvement as well. A relative was telling me recently that it was the best night that was ever visited upon the town. The craic in the pubs apparently was fantastic with the news of the daring raid spread all over the town. One local wag was heard to have said that they would have had the whole lot if the GAA boys had to have turned out their pockets. BTW, no one was ever convicted of this crime. That 24k is probably 300,000 euros in today's terms. Not a bad haul at all.


Jaysus, 25 years ago, I must be getting old. I was there that day and remember it well. The public address asked the cops, half of them were sitting down beside the pitch watching the game to go to the stand. So they all trouped off and missed the end of the game.

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The comments on this forum are owned by the person who posts them. We at clarehurlers.com are not responsible for their content. Please remember that we do not actively monitor the contents of posted messages and are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not the views of Clare Hurlers. Com. In the event Clarehurlers.com has reasonable gounds to believe any message may breach any laws, Clarehurlers.com reserves the right to inform the competent authorities.