Rose Dugdale: The Debutante Who Stole Art for the IRA

Bridget Rose Dugdale, a wealthy English heiress turned IRA member, masterminded one of the largest art heists in history in April 1974. Born into privilege in 1941, she rejected her upbringing, gave away her inheritance, and joined the IRA. In January 1974, she participated in a botched helicopter bombing of a police station in Strabane, County Tyrone. On 26 April 1974, she led a gang that stole 19 paintings worth millions from Sir Alfred Beit's Russborough House in County Wicklow, including works by Vermeer, Goya, Velázquez, Metsu, and Frans Hals. The paintings were recovered days later in a holiday cottage in Glandore, West Cork. Dugdale was sentenced to nine years for receiving stolen paintings and nine concurrent years for the helicopter hijack. She gave birth to her son Ruairi in Limerick Prison and married accomplice Eddie Gallagher in the prison chapel in 1978. Released in 1980, she later became involved in developing IRA arms. Dugdale died in March 2024 at age 83; the film 'Baltimore' depicting the robbery was released that same month.