Gavinsblog.com

Category: Irish Politics

  • 19 ways Bertie Ahern is laughing at you

    I just listened to Willy O’Dea on Saturday view. After the evidence of Padraic O’Connor this week, it now seems that the Government’s line on it is that NO conflict exists between the story of Ahern and the story of O’Connor. There is only conflict between Des Richardson and O’Connor. This is clearly a lie.…

  • Ahern's web of deceit

    That’s the most polite way I can put it. Piece by piece Ahern’s story of dig-outs and donations is falling apart. And it will continue to fall apart. Both of the so-called digouts no longer stand up to scrutiny. They were not friends helping out a pal in need. They were people with vested interests…

  • Des Richardson

    What fascinating stuff. I really am going to have to put together a proper narrative on his evidence to the Tribunal. And he seems like a man who has his fingers in a lot of pies.

  • Tribunal malaise

    So I do tend to read Tribunal transcripts quite a lot. This week has been thrilling to say the least, much new detail has emerged. One thing that I ask myself now is not about whether Bertie Ahern received large sums of cash. The question I am asking myself now is exactly how connected is…

  • I love it when a plan comes together

    As P O’Neill says over on Irish Election, Richardson is joining the dots. This is the first mention of US dollars being used in relation to FF donations. And as we all know by now, Ahern denies having received $45,000. Or does he? As I have blogged before, his statement was very carefully phrased: The…

  • Brennan's whip-round

    This went completely over my head it seems. Solicitor Gerry Brennan, the man who did the whip-round for Ahern in order to pay Ahern’s legal fees, was in fact the solicitor acting for Ahern in the proceedings. So Brennan knew how much Ahern would owe in legal fees because he was the man charging Ahern…

  • The St Luke's deal

    It is worth noting that in relation to Philip Murphy’s testimony at the Mahon Tribunal, and the loan application form filled out by him for Ahern, that some issues arise. Ahern says on the application that he is the ‘owner’ of St Luke’s, and that it is worth, in 1995, some £90,000. This forms part…

  • Ahern's loan application form

    Another day for former AIB assistant manager Philip Murphy. Certainly some curious things are coming up. Transcript here. One thing that stands out is that when Murphy went over the review of the loan with Ahern in 1995, and an application form was finally filled out (in May 1995, 18 months after Ahern had got…

  • Ahern's loan

    So Ahern took out a bank loan, like a common man would, to pay off what he owed in legal fees following his seperation. Ahern did say during the Dobson interview that this was the case. But why did the bank not ask for security? Ahern was taking out a loan of almost £20,000, which…

  • The Economist's view of the Irish economy

    The Economist Intelligence Unit gives their forecast for the Irish economy 2008-2009. It does not make for pretty reading. * We expect the multi-party coalition, formed in June 2007, to remain in office over the outlook period. There is a limited risk of the arrangement collapsing, with the Green Party the most likely participant to…