The Kidnapping: A hostage, a desperate manhunt and a bloody rescue that shocked Ireland

by Tommy Conlon, Ronan McGreevy

November 1983. Early morning in suburban south Dublin. Businessman Don Tidey is snatched from his car and the IRA has its latest kidnap victim. Weeks later he is tracked down to an isolated Leitrim wood, but in saving Tidey’s life a recruit garda and a soldier lose theirs.

The Kidnapping is a brilliantly reported account of this landmark event by two accomplished journalists and Leitrim natives. Delving deep, they provide a chilling account of the lead-up to Tidey’s abduction, the massive manhunt that followed, his bloody rescue, the botched attempts to capture his abductors and the devastating fall-out – personal and national – that followed.

At the heart of The Kidnapping revealing interviews with Don Tidey – speaking about his experience in detail for the first time – and with the families of Garda Gary Sheehan and Private Patrick Kelly, provide a startling and moving testimony of the lasting impact of these traumatic events. It is both a gripping read and one that raises profound questions for today’s Ireland.

Genres: History, Crime, Ireland, Nonfiction, Irish Literature

320 pages, Paperback

Published January 26, 2024

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knew nothing before I started this read and very informative and good insight into how things were during the Troubles and this particular incident.
Well worth the read and well researched by both authors

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and well researched book

[Cormac Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book does go off on an unusual history of the political polls for around 20 or so pages at the start which doesn’t have much relevance but bar that a great book and a good read.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

More interesting as a case study of Leitrim.

[Stephen Curran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book, tells the story of the famous kidnapping and gives some historical contrct too