Plot Synopsis

THE HEIRESS AND THE HEIST is a three-episode true-crime documentary series that tells the story of Rose Dugdale, the English heiress who abandoned her life of privilege to join the IRA and was the mastermind behind some of the most audacious and radical schemes of 1974. The series chronicles Rose's transformation as a revolutionary - from her early childhood in Devon to the time she spent in Limerick Prison - and includes historical events and the social upheavals that affected England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from the late 1960s to mid-1970s. The focus of the series is the Russborough House heist from 1974, which was largely orchestrated by Dugdale who acted as the brains of the operation, selecting which paintings were to be stolen at the time of the robbery. The immediate aftermath of the crime is relayed by key witness testimonies, including the crime correspondents who reported the story, and the police officer who made the detection and arrest of Dugdale in Cork with the 19 paintings. All three episodes of THE HEIRESS AND THE HEIST dropped on Thursday, July 27, 2023 on SundanceNow:

Episode 1: To rebel against her privileged background and family wealth, Rose Dugdale organizes the robbery of her family home. The possibility of her committing any further criminal acts is deemed "extremely remote" but her radicalization is only beginning.

Episode 2: The night of April 26, 1974, Dugdale leads a raid on Russborough House to steal paintings kept in the stunning Palladian mansion. Under her specific instructions, the gang steal 19 works of art valued at around $90 million today.

Episode 3: The paintings are recovered and Dugdale is sentenced to prison. Months later, Eddie Gallagher and Marion Coyle kidnap Dutch businessman, Tiede Herrema, to force the release of Dugdale and two other IRA members. After 19 days, Herrema is released.