Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors
Alleghany Corporation:

We consent to the use of our reports dated March 8, 2005, with respect to the
consolidated balance sheets of Alleghany Corporation as of December 31, 2004 and
2003, and the related consolidated statements of earnings, changes in common
stockholders' equity and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year
period ended December 31, 2004, and all related financial statement schedules,
management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial
reporting as of December 31, 2004, and the effectiveness of internal control
over financial reporting as of December 31, 2004, incorporated herein by
reference and to the reference to our firm as experts.

/s/ KPMG LLP
New York, New York
August 8, 2005