Frank Dunlop

Victor

So, some comments over the last few days how Frank Dunlop is a bit of a pariah and people shun him. Part of me inside says he's a bit of a hero.

Would you have lunch with him? I think I would.

marcsignal

Victor wrote: »

Would you have lunch with him? I think I would.

Have fun, but just to let you know, there aren't any Tiger Prawns on the menu in B Wing in the Joy

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055568960

aphex™

I did a course in Griffith College and he was there for one of the classes. He had a little group that would hang about with him for lunch etc. I could have said hello or given him a nod but never bothered really.

Sure, he's not somebody you'd go up to and say anything bad to out of the blue. He knows what he has done (see no contest to court case). I would imagine he has a good story or two, you could buy the book of Dail anecdones he wrote if you want.

As for him being a 'hero' could you just explain that. People to this day are spending hours in traffic because of the brown envelope town planning brigade. I don't think it's heroic to ruin the lives of countless people. Not him personally but part of the corrupt system of planning did.

lostexpectation

no way you can't forgive what he did, what he was, he got caught im not sure he's ever said he was sorry about doing what he did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4xPRYnExAw

look at that arrogant face

galwayrush

Should he be treated any different than everybody else? Of course not, it's about time we had one law for all in this Country.

deadhead13

Victor wrote: »

Part of me inside says he's a bit of a hero.

Why?

The Raven.

Victor wrote: »

Part of me inside says he's a bit of a hero.

What has he done that merits the status of a 'hero' :eek:??

paddyland

Does anyone remember 'Dunlop & Finlay' many years ago, a political debate programme on RTE?

Fergus Finlay seems to be a man of reasonable integrity, and one wonders given his connections in political circles if he had no notion of the machinations behind the scenes of his broadcasting colleague.

How Dunlop has fallen since those days.

Victor

But, if it weren't for Dunlop, we wouldn't have much firm evidence of this corruption.

deadhead13

Victor wrote: »

But, if it weren't for Dunlop, we wouldn't have much firm evidence of this corruption.

I'm struggling with our logic here. Frank Dunlop didn't wake up day and have a pang of conscience over his part in the systemic corruption in local authority planning. He tried to brazen out the tribunal but the sheer weight of evidence broke him. He had no choice but to come clean - all be it, selectively. Even yesterday, in an effort to keep himself out of jail, he made it known to the court that he is prepared to give evidence against a string of politicans who are facing prosecution for accepting bribes. Hardly heroic. He is just a chancer who got caught.

lostexpectation

don't know if you were to the sme show i was where some guy was talking about how deal making in the USA was what enable them to tackle corruption, ie the implemented a tradition of plea barganing in order to get people to to witness against public officials.

i get the impression dunlop would do the same if he had the chance again.

Red Alert

I'd have lunch with him, I think the fact that he uncovered everything did us all a great service, despite the fact that he wasn't exactly forthcoming initially.

It's a pity if Dunlop goes to jail, since many others - in the current government, retired and dead never saw the inside of a courtroom or jail cell.

deadhead13

Whether Dunlop goes to prision or not is for the courts to decide, I don't particularly care. But the notion that he did the state some service (where have I heard that before?) therefore should be viewed in a more sympathic light is a fallacy. His actions resulted in far greater diservice to the state.

The suggestion that he "uncovered everything" and how forthcoming he in fact was, is debatable. From the moment, in 2000, when Justice Flood responded to Frank Dunlop's evidence by telling him to reflect on his position overnight, Dunlop has been on a self-preservation exercise. And I don't really see the need to commend him for it.

Borstal Boy

You have a very unusual definition of a hero.

Nurses dedicating their lived to AIDS infected children, firemen running into burning buildings, soldiers throwing themselves on grenades to save lives ... all heroes in most people's books.

But a crook that bribed bent politicians for personal profit.... I don't see anything heroic in that.

old boy

Borstal Boy wrote: »

You have a very unusual definition of a hero.

Nurses dedicating their lived to AIDS infected children, firemen running into burning buildings, soldiers throwing themselves on grenades to save lives ... all heroes in most people's books.

But a crook that bribed bent politicians for personal profit.... I don't see anything heroic in that.

are you a p.r. guru or a journalist, quite flowrey discriptions above. the nurses it is part of the job, the firemen the same, BUT soldiers throwing themselves on grenades to save lives ??????????? you are reading too much fiction.