Where is Shergar? Today marks the 34th anniversary of his disappearance from a stud in Kildare

Today marks the 34th anniversary of the most mysterious and infamous crimes in Kildare, and, possibly even Irish history.

Epsom and Irish Derby winning horse Shergar was stolen from the Ballymany Stud back in 1983 on February 8, and his whereabouts remains a mystery to this very day. Armed thieves stormed the stud on the Curragh at night time, forcing James Fitzgerald, the horse's groom, to help them load Shergar into a horsebox.

The gang, which numbered as many as six people according to Fitzgerald at the time, drove off with the horse, while Fitzgerald was carted around in a separate vehicle for three hours before eventually being thrown out of the car around 12 kilometres from the stud.

The gang wanted a payment of £40,000 from Shergar's owner, but they didn't seem to know that Aga Khan had sold numerous shares to maximise the horse's valuation the year before. It meant that a ransom payment was difficult for the thieves to negotiate, and it is believed that they panicked and killed the then five-year-old stallion.

Shergar's body was supposedly buried in a pit near Ballinamore in Leitrim, but there has been no evidence to back that theory up to this day. The most widely reported culprits behind the theft were the IRA as they sought to raise funds for arms, but they have never claimed responsibility either.

Since his disappearance, numerous books have been written about Shergar, and there has also been a Hollywood film made depicting the story behind one of Ireland's most beloved animals.