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United Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough

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28.05.2012

Whitechurch Parish to Feature on ‘Crimes Shook Ireland’ Tonight

A programme focusing on the kidnapping of businessman and former Whitechurch parishioner, Don Tidey, will be broadcast on TV3 tonight (Monday May 28). ‘Crimes That Shook Ireland’ will feature an interview with the Rector of Whitechurch Parish, Canon Horace McKinley, who recalls the kidnapping vividly.

Mr Tidey was a very active member of the parish and the people of Whitechurch were deeply shocked by the kidnapping in December 1983. The supermarket executive was dropping his 13 year old daughter to school when he was stopped outside his home at a bogus Garda checkpoint.

He was detained for over three weeks. During that time a huge Garda search backed up by the army was mounted. The kidnappers were eventually tracked down in Ballinamore, County Leitrim. As Gardai and the army raided the kidnappers’ hideout shots were fired and while, Don Tidey managed to escape a member of the Gardai and an army private were fatally injured.

Back in his home parish, shocked people came together for support. Canon McKinley started an evening vigil service the day after the kidnapping and it carried on for the duration of Mr Tidey’s three and a half week ordeal.

“An extraordinary range of people came to the vigils – members of the Gardai, journalists, politicians, parishioners, business people,” Canon McKinley recalls. “It was an awful time. Parishioners were shocked by it. It was national and international news and at the centre of it was someone they know locally.”

“You can’t be trained to deal with things like this. How do you respond? Because he was most active in the parish, I felt the best response would be to set up a prayer resource,” he continues.

When he left the parish, Don Tidey donated a stained glass window to the church.

‘The Kidnapping of Don Tidey: Crimes That Shook Ireland’ will be shown on TV3 at 10.00 pm this evening – Monday May 28. It can be viewed afterwards online on the TV3 player.

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