FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * KIRBY F M   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol ALLEGHANY CORP /DE [Y] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director __X__ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chairman of the Board (Last) (First) (Middle) 17 DEHART STREET, P.O. BOX 151 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 05/11/2005 (Street) MORRISTOWN, NJ 07963 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 05/10/2005   S(1)   551 D $ 272.4694 111,997 (2) I See Footnote (3) Common Stock 05/11/2005   J(4)   1,653 D (4) 110,344 I See Footnote (3) Common Stock               210,465 (5) D   Common Stock               496,494 (5) I Held by trusts of which undersigned is co-trustee and primary beneficiary

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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
KIRBY F M 17 DEHART STREET P.O. BOX 151 MORRISTOWN, NJ 07963	X	X	Chairman of the Board

Signatures

Christopher K. Dalrymple, Attorney-in-Fact		05/11/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Open market sale of certain shares received from Alleghany Corporation as a stock dividend in April 2005. Pursuant to arrangements made by Alleghany, stockholders who wished to sell all, or some portion of, the shares paid to them as a stock dividend instructed the dividend disbursing agent to do so, and such stockholders received the average sales price per share resulting from the sale of all such shares.
(2)	Adjusted to reflect receipt of shares paid by Alleghany Corporation as a stock dividend in April 2005 prior to the sale of stock dividend shares as described in Note 1 above.
(3)	Held by undersigned as sole trustee for trusts for the benefit of his children; the undersigned disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares.
(4)	Distribution of stock dividend to beneficiaries.
(5)	Includes shares of Common Stock paid by Alleghany Corporation as a stock dividend in April 2005.

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