Published January 4th, 2010 in Other Issues
BRIAN Goggin bade farewell to the marble halls of the Bank of Ireland 18 months early in February last.
As Bank of Ireland’s managing director he was the first of the big bankers to depart this year after a series of disastrous media outings. His response in an RTE interview that his pay package would be reduced to “less than €2m this year” rocked the nation and sealed his fate. It was an absolutely extraordinary statement from a man who had drawn €4m during 2007. Continue reading ‘We say Goodbye… He finally left the stable — but not without his straw’
Published December 20th, 2009 in Other Issues
CHRISTMAS is a perfect time for an amnesty. This year let us swallow hard and give a fool’s pardon to the sinners with beards, namely the trade union guys who tried to wreck the economy.
Continue reading ‘Paddy the Bearded Banker’
Published December 6th, 2009 in Other Issues
WHAT a pity there was no strike last Thursday. Some of us were longing for it.
If the trades union leaders had called a strike they would have suffered bloody noses.
Support for industrial disruption was shrinking by the hour. Our bearded comrades had read the runes hopelessly wrong. Far from being militant, their own members were ready to accept further pain. The bearded ones were in a corner. They had led the troops into a cul de sac. Another day off meant another day’s loss of pay. There was little appetite among good ordinary public service workers for that. For once the Government had the public behind it.
Continue reading ‘Three Cheers for FF Dissidents’
Published November 29th, 2009 in Other Issues
DID you know that Leinster House was haunted? No, not just by the ghosts of de Valera, Michael Collins and Countess Markievicz.
They are mere run-of-the-mill spirits, civil war heroes or heroines, names regularly invoked by TDs to inflame earthly political controversies.
Last week, a more visible class of ghost floated into the corridors of power.
Continue reading ‘The ghosts of bankers past’
Published November 22nd, 2009 in Other Issues
BRIAN COWEN carried the white flag down the steps of the Dail chamber on Wednesday morning.
He had an easy task: to tell the Dail the terms of the Government’s latest surrender to Allied Irish Banks. It must be second nature to him by now. Over the last year, he has had plenty of practice.
Continue reading ‘Cowen waves the white flag to AIB’
Published November 9th, 2009 in Other Issues
THE bearded brethren are coming out to play. And they seem to be amateurs at the media game.
First, our old friend ‘Union’ Jack O’Connor got an outing on Marian Finucane’s radio programme on Saturday morning. Then on Monday night, Jack took to the airwaves on Pat Kenny’s new Frontline programme. The whiskered one is quite a media star.
Continue reading ‘Jack’s Attack on Trophy Houses’
Published October 25th, 2009 in Other Issues
THE banking meltdown has thrown up surprisingly few heroes.
Despite their responsibility for the crisis, banks retain tentacles everywhere. Their superpower status is undiluted. Hidden links with bankers have often compromised otherwise credible players in the economic spinning game.
None are more compromised than Ireland’s club of in-house economists.
Continue reading ‘The superstar of the slump’
Published October 18th, 2009 in Other Issues
THOMAS the Tank Engine’s eyes would pop out of their sockets at the shenanigans down in CIE’s depots. The villain of the Thomas tales, Devious Diesel, would find a paradise for plunderers in Ireland’s railways.
Iarnrod Eireann (Irish Rail) is out of control. It badly needs the services of the Fat Controller, Sir Topham Hatt, of Thomas fame.
Iarnrod Eireann’s parent board — CIE — has known for some time that all was not well down at the semi-state depots. After internal inquiries had unearthed skulduggery, the directors decided to commission their own top secret report.
Continue reading ‘CIE follows the FAS road’
Published October 11th, 2009 in Other Issues
Dear Jack,
Congratulations on such a successful conference last week.
Congratulations on 100 years of Siptu. Sorry you did not invite me to the celebrations. I would have enjoyed joining hands and singing The Red Flag with all the bearded brethren in late-night sessions in Tralee’s Brandon Hotel.
Continue reading ‘Lash your FAS cronies, Jack’
Published September 29th, 2009 in Other Issues
Photograph by: Collins Photo Agency.
On Thursday September 24th, I was delighted to take a break from FAS , Nama, the banks and the turmoil around Leinster House to act as best man at Eamon Dunphy and Jane Gogan’s wedding. Above is a photograph of a lighter moment outside the church.
