Brian Cowen, Sean Fitzpatrick, Golf and the Gardai

hotmail.com

Taoiseach Brian Cowen had two previously undisclosed contacts with former Anglo Irish Bank Chairman Sean FitzPatrick in the months prior to the introduction of the bank guarantee.
In a statement to the Sunday Times, Mr Cowen confirmed he had dinner and played golf with Mr FitzPatrick at Druids Glen in Co Wicklow in July 2008.
However, Mr Cowen said that the affairs of Anglo Irish Bank were not discussed during the day.
Mr Cowen also confirmed that he took a call from Mr FitzPatrick concerning Anglo Irish Bank shares four months earlier when he was still Minister for Finance.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0109/anglo.html

Fine Gael's Justice spokesperson Alan Shatter, has called for the Taoiseach to be interviewed by the Gardai.

They played golf for four hours apparently, why?

Dirk Gently

hotmail.com wrote: »

They played golf for four hours apparently, why?

because puppet politicians and the corrupt business men who pull their strings have always had a cosy relationship in this crony capitalist republic of ours.

Tarquin1970

hotmail.com wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0109/anglo.html

They played golf for four hours apparently, why?

Four hours isn't bad to get around the Glen.

mgmt

Tarquin1970 wrote: »

Four hours isn't bad to get around the Glen.

Garda driver was used to ferry them around the course.

EricPraline

Sure what would they have to discuss in July 2008? Presumably they talked about the weather and the prospects of the Offaly senior hurling team.

Months of planning and backroom work by Anglo – in close consultation with the Financial Regulator – eventually led to the bank placing a 10 per cent stake held by Quinn with 10 customers of the bank using loans from the bank. However, the controversial July 2008 transaction – which is now the subject of investigations by the Garda and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement – left Quinn deeply unhappy.

ilovesleep

So Sean Fitzpatrick bought Brian Cowen. My God! Why is Sean Fitzpatprick not locked up?

KerranJast

ilovesleep wrote: »

So Sean Fitzpatrick bought Brian Cowen. My God! Why is Sean Fitzpatprick not locked up?

Because he probably hasn't done anything illegal? And before someone jumps I'm with Bernie Madoff example he was running an illegal Ponzi (pyramid) scheme.

Liam Byrne

KerranJast wrote: »

Because he probably hasn't done anything illegal? And before someone jumps I'm with Bernie Madoff example he was running an illegal Ponzi (pyramid) scheme.

That "probably" caveat is the problem....

Any more info on whether the "loans to buy bank shares" fiasco was illegal, or has the government even bothered to follow up on it?

Cork boy 55

Brian Cowen plays sports?

Raging_Ninja

mgmt wrote: »

Garda driver was used to ferry them around the course.

Garda 'drivers' are bodyguards and are supposed to stay with the their principle at all times.

The man played a round of golf with one of the guys who ran Anglo Irish Bank into the ground. That doesn't mean anything and doesn't necessarily mean anything about the personality or ability of Brian Cowen.

Christ, I was once at a staff party and met a guy who a few months later went and murdered somebody. Am I responsible for or tainted by his later actions, or does it say anything about me?

hotmail.com

Nobody is going to believe anything Cowen says about these meetings, no matter he says.

I wonder will many FF TDs, hoping to succeed Cowen, come out to defend him.

GSF

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

I was once at a staff party and met a guy who a few months later went and murdered somebody. Am I responsible for his behaviour?

Depends whether you discussed the crime at your meeting or not.

Raging_Ninja

GSF wrote: »

Depends whether you discussed the crime at your meeting or not.

Most definitely not. Didn't converse as much as exchange pleasantries.

GSF

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

Most definitely not. Didn't converse as much as exchange pleasantries.

and you believe that Cowen & Fitzpatrick played golf & had dinner and never discussed Anglo's problems? Maybe they just engaged in pleasantries for 6 hours.

Liam Byrne

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

Garda 'drivers' are bodyguards and are supposed to stay with the their principle at all times.

The man played a round of golf with one of the guys who ran Anglo Irish Bank into the ground. That doesn't mean anything and doesn't necessarily mean anything about the personality or ability of Brian Cowen.

Christ, I was once at a staff party and met a guy who a few months later went and murdered somebody. Am I responsible for or tainted by his later actions, or does it say anything about me?

Did you get him off the hook and were you heard shouting the equivalent of "we're not f**king letting Anglo fail!" ?

If not, your example is a long way off.

patwicklow

I worked in druids glen for 6 years, Seanie a member there and apart from all the bad talk about him i do have to say he was a sound guy in person and all his family. we had any one that was famous even hollywood stars come through the house. and cowen has played golf there alot.even when seanie stepped down as chairman and drumm took over we done the big event in a massive marquee on the course and that was some party millionaires/billionaires, the car park was full of top of the range 100k-200k cars was great to look at all these cars, and i used to say to myself were the feck has all this money come from.I knew in my hearth and soul back in 2006 that the bubble had burst when a good few of the staff at druids were made redundant including myself the good times were over.

Pherekydes

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

Brian Cowen plays sports?

Golf is not sport!

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

The man played a round of golf with one of the guys who ran Anglo Irish Bank into the ground.

The then Minister of Defence played a round of Golf with the guy who ran Anglo into the ground and it doesn't make you suspicious?

20Cent

Cowen played golf with Neil Armstrong and didn't mention the moon once.
When are the Gardai going to move on these criminals who have hijacked our country?
The FF backbenchers, the greens and the everyone else who can needs to remove these fools now.

later12

The people I feel most sorry for in relation to this story are Fianna Fáil activists. Those people work very hard and voluntarily for the party, go out in wind and rain selling tickets and canvassing and fundraising and attending meetings, for what? An unpopular and isolated party leader that is stupid enough to associate with one of the most toxic figures in the history of the state, in fact to play golf with him, and a host of ministers and TDs who are happy to jump ship as soon as they get the feeling that they won't be tolerated anymore. I'm not sure how much longer those grassroots people will want to continue to put up with that, and I don't particularly blame them.

Fitzerb

Tarquin1970 wrote: »

Four hours isn't bad to get around the Glen.

Anybody know how they got did on the 5th hole. Its a Bastard with the water.

Fitzerb

20Cent wrote: »

Cowen played golf with Neil Armstrong and didn't mention the moon once.
When are the Gardai going to move on these criminals who have hijacked our country?
The FF backbenchers, the greens and the everyone else who can needs to remove these fools now.

WHAT !!!!! Its now against the law to play golf.

I am in big trouble.

As the greens,,,,,, I thought they were a bit undercut for the uphill putts

Liam Byrne

later10 wrote: »

The people I feel most sorry for in relation to this story are Fianna Fáil activists.

Why do you feel sorry for them ?

If it were a family member who had no option but to be associated with those in FF who do this sort of thing, then fair enough - even if they disowned the individual they'd still be linked to them.

But FF have had Haughey, Ahern and now Cowen at the top, so if the penny hasn't yet dropped with volunteers that they're collecting for an organisation which - although maybe not "to the core" - is rotten at the top, and has been for years, then they deserve no sympathy whatsoever.

They're members - and volunteers - by choice.

later12

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Why do you feel sorry for them ?
...FF have had Haughey, Ahern and now Cowen at the top, so if the penny hasn't yet dropped with volunteers that they're collecting for an organisation which - although maybe not "to the core" - is rotten at the top, and has been for years, then they deserve no sympathy whatsoever.

Perhaps they are optimists. Or they feel that Fianna Fáil actually deliver a lot in their areas. Or they have never personally seen party corruption. Brown envelopes are, quite rightly, seen to be a problem higher up the political chain in all parties. I have seen activists working very hard for the party, up before dawn putting up posters, engaged in fundraising and so on, for little thanks. And when stories like this emerge it is this group of volunteers whose efforts I feel sorry for. Simple as. I don't believe I really have to justify that to you, I'm not asking you to change your opinion of the party and have no interest in encouraging you do to so in the slightest.

AlekSmart

The then Minister of Defence played a round of Golf with the guy who ran Anglo into the ground and it doesn't make you suspicious?

And,I`ll have yiz know.....that`s not a crime in this State either !

theroad

later10 wrote: »

Or they have never personally seen party corruption. Brown envelopes are, quite rightly, seen to be a problem higher up the political chain in all parties.

That's simply wilfully naive. Corruption in politics is par for the course:), from top to bottom. It's just that the stakes are smaller at the local level.

later12

theroad wrote: »

That's simply wilfully naive. Corruption in politics is par for the course:), from top to bottom. It's just that the stakes are smaller at the local level.

Activists are typically not exposed to corruption. There is generally little to gain in engaging in corruption with someone who puts up posters in the evenings. I'm not talking about councillors or other elected politicians.

Liam Byrne

later10 wrote: »

Perhaps they are optimists. Or they feel that Fianna Fáil actually deliver a lot in their areas. Or they have never personally seen party corruption. Brown envelopes are, quite rightly, seen to be a problem higher up the political chain in all parties. I have seen activists working very hard for the party, up before dawn putting up posters, engaged in fundraising and so on, for little thanks. And when stories like this emerge it is this group of volunteers whose efforts I feel sorry for. Simple as. I don't believe I really have to justify that to you, I'm not asking you to change your opinion of the party and have no interest in encouraging you do to so in the slightest.

I would have commended that post were it not for the inclusion of the caveat.

You don't have to "personally" witness Callelly or Ahern in order to know that they've had dodgy finances.

later12

Liam Byrne wrote: »

I would have commended that post were it not for the inclusion of the caveat.

You don't have to "personally" witness Callelly or Ahern in order to know that they've had dodgy finances.

You're like a broken record. The point remains.

Bosco boy

Who signed who's card and was the score correct! I hear they are a couple of bandits!

theroad

later10 wrote: »

Activists are typically not exposed to corruption.

I disagree. Activists have a very clear idea of how politics works in this country.

later12

theroad wrote: »

I disagree. Activists have a very clear idea of how politics works in this country.

Yeah, so do lots of people. They have a very clear idea of how politics works. It doesn't mean they're generally a party to political corruption in any way.