Shergar stand him at the Ballymany Stud in Ireland. He arrived in October 1981, and was paraded down the main street of Newbridge, County Kildare. Milton Toby, the writer on Thoroughbred racing and equine law, judges Shergar to have been "a national hero in Ireland. ... one of the most recognizable sports personalities—horse or human—in Ireland." In 1982—his only rutting season—Shergar covered 44 mares, from which 36 foals were produced: 17 colts and 19 fillies. Of these, three won Group races, and the most successful of his progeny was Authaal. When sold as a weanling (between six months and a year)
Horse racing in Ireland is intricately linked with Irish rural life and community. Horse breeding and training is a key economic player in regions of the country where there are few employment opportunities. Horse race attendance is a strong contributor to tourism, with approximately 80,000 people travelling to Ireland annually to attend racing events. Dennis Fitzpatrick was the first professional Irish jockey to race in England, particularly noted for taking part in match races towards the turn of the 19th century, beginning a long history of professional Irish jockeys in the United Kingdom. In Ireland it is not uncommon for jockeys to ride in