The Mystery Of...

Episode 4

If the pirates are to capture the Upnor, the captive captain, Jeremiah Collins, is their only hope. They change course and aim to cut the ship off before it reaches England. But if they succeed, are they prepared for the dangerous waters that await them at Ballycotton Harbour? Narrator: Demi Isaac Readings by: Gavan Casey, John Fitzsimons, Liam O’Caoimh. Series Produced by Ally McKenzie Executive Editor: Ciaran Daly

Episode 3

With the Upnor disappearing on the horizon, the IRA pirates scramble to find a tugboat to follow it out to sea. They are given a sliver of hope when a boat docks in Cobh but is it too late? Meanwhile, unaware of the delay, O’Hegarty makes his way to Ballycotton with a convoy of vehicles and hundreds of people awaiting the ship’s return. Narrator: Demi Isaac Readings by: Gavan Casey, John Fitzsimons, Liam O’Caoimh. Series Produced by Ally McKenzie Executive Editor: Ciaran Daly

Episode 2

Sean O’Hegarty puts together a crew in an attempt to seize The Upnor at sea. The ship is carrying 120 tonnes of weapons and is their only chance at arming for an inevitable civil war with Michael Collins’ national army. With a plan in place, they head to Cobh and events are set in motion. But things start to unravel quickly. Narrator: Demi Isaac Readings by: Gavan Casey, John Fitzsimons, Liam O’Caoimh. Series Produced by Ally McKenzie Executive Editor: Ciaran Daly

Episode 1

In March 1922, a British Naval ship carrying 120 tons of weapons and ammunition is put to sea but never reaches its destination. In fact, it has vanished on its voyage from Cork to Plymouth. Irish Revolutionary turned leader, Michael Collins, is greatly concerned at the ship’s disappearance. Ireland teeters on the brink of Civil War, and in the wrong hands the munitions could spell disaster. Meanwhile, for the Cork IRA, the loaded ship presents an opportunity they can’t ignore. Narrator: Demi Isaac Readings by: Gavan Casey, John Fitzsimons, Liam O’Caoimh. Series Produced by Ally McKenzie Executive Editor: Ciaran Daly

Episode 10

1990. In the midst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. four masked men seize an elderly Lord in his home. Tying him up, they carry out an audacious £1m antiques heist – still reputed to be the biggest ever in Northern Ireland. Then they flee in a car and van. Rewards are offered, but to no avail. The gang – and the valuable antiques – are gone. A year later, the Lord’s son will disappear, lost at sea in Rhodes, Greece. Before he does, he reportedly sends a mysterious letter to Ireland. In it, a chart with strange markings and an even stranger message. Yet none of this is ever solved. Or even much remembered. Why? In this series former BBC reporter Gordon Adair, and podcast producer Ophelia Byrne, set out to find out. The story takes them on a rollercoaster ride, from paramilitary gangs to the Dublin underworld, and from island Greece to the glittering showrooms of the art and antiques world. Along the way, they explore how grassroots crime meets high end wealth – and how, far from a victimless crime, criminals seek to exploit the huge global trade in art, antiquities and other cultural objects to fuel serious criminal activity.